The Storyteller
by Demonatron
Summary: Rose red was the color of the dragon, with wings that could carry her to the ends of the earth and a flame hotter than the sun. All heroes have a story. The Guardian Trilogy Continuation, SUNDANCE
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

He stared with cold eyes at the surrounding sands. The sun beat down on his back, almost hot enough to burn holes through his clothing. He was crouched down on the dry trunk of a felled tree. Around him, his men rushed to get their gear together. He started, gaining all of their attention, "We're half a mile away from their territory. We go in silent-_on foot_."

"And if they decide to shoot us this time?" One of the younger men asked, "Bry, we're lucky they let us off easy last time we tried to pull this shit."

"All we need is _one_," Someone else added, looking up to their leader, "Right, Bry? One of the lil ones will do just fine."

"That's right," Bry said. He stood up and hopped down from his perch, swinging an arm down to pick up his pack, "Ray, have you spotted anything yet?"

The skinniest of the group whipped out a pair of binoculars and squinted into them, slowly scanning the horizon, "No, not yet..."

"You will," Bry promised.

"Hey, how do we even know these things will show?"

"Because I've been watching them for damn near a week," Bry answered, "They're young. They like to be rebellious, every day they walk just a little farther away from home. All we have to do is be there when they stumble past the point of no return."

"Yeah, yeah...I'll believe it when I see it."

"Speak of the devil," Ray muttered, "There's _three _of those damn things. They're multiplying quicker than rabbits!"

"_Three_?" Someone repeated, "we got room for that many?"

"We'll _make_ room," Bry said. He ordered, "Alright, boys! You know where you're supposed to be, now get there!"

"Alright, alright! Don't rush me!"

Around him, his men scattered like headless chickens, burying themselves in the sands. He knelt to follow their lead when a shadow passed over them. He blinked, gut tightening, and chanced a quick look up. He narrowed his eyes when he saw nothing but blue skies, not even a bird. He shook it off, laying flat in the yellow sand with ice blue eyes searching.

They waited for what felt like hours, in complete, still silence. They were masters at blending, and that's what they did.

Finally, he spotted the sharp reflection of light on metal. He made a hand signal in case anyone was watching him instead of the sands.

The little metal aliens moved closer, hardly taller than his hip. They pushed and shoved at each other like human kids, but he knew better. Two of them, he recognized. The heaviest of the three, who was built like a little tank with black armor, and the other was the tallest with red armor. The last was the one he'd never seen before-ocean blue. It was the heavy one that was leading them on, laughing about some ridiculous joke.

_Just a little closer..._

They waited until the last one had walked in range before exploding out of the sand. All three of the little robots froze, eyes widening. Bry raised his firearm, taking quick, careful aim before he let loose. The red one stumbled back a step, hand flying up to clench at his side. The black one glared and charged towards them.

Everything was well underway when the earth suddenly shuddered. It didn't quite shake, but it definitely _shifted. _"Whoa!" Ray shouted. Bry snarled, "They must know we're here!"

Even the robots turned their eyes to the earth, talking rapidly among themselves with raised tones. The blue one was supporting the red one, who was on the verge of collapsing. It was as if the humans were the least of the concerns now.

"Take them down!" Bry shouted, "_now_!"

His men obeyed. Their targets stumbled back.

Bry froze when he felt the sand shift beneath his boots. He moved back as it started to slide around. "What the hell?"

He looked up in time to see the blue one grin.

The earth exploded in the space between the sparklings and the humans, a massive shape emerging from the sands. All of his men were knocked on their ass, several of them were sent rolling. Bry snarled, covering his face to keep sand from getting in his eyes. His gut went cold when one of the guys screamed, "It's a fucking _DEMON_!"

Bry rolled over, reaching around for his rifle, only to drop it when he saw the monster rising from the earth.

A massive, red dragon was erupting from the sands, wings unfurling in a show of great strength. Sand rained down like golden rivers from the plates of it's armor, massive jaws that could swallow a man whole spread open in a roar that rattled his bones. His heart pounded in his chest, fear burning through him. Smoke billowed up in thick black clouds through lit nostrils. It's fangs were black. Huge red claws slammed down in front of them.

About half of his team stood up, screamed like a little girl, and took off running as fast as they possibly could. Bry moved back a few steps, "What...are you?"

The aliens were supposed to be _human-like _in build, not freaking _huge_, red_ dragons_.

A low, rolling growl tore it's way out of the mechanical dragon's throat. His eyes grew even wider when words started to flow out, in a voice that was undeniably female and undeniably _pissed_, "You picked the _wrong_ day to go hunting!"

He raised his handgun, the only thing left on him, to her red eyes. He squeezed the trigger and the bullet simply bounced off her face. She bared her fangs in a bone-chilling snarl, striking forward like a snake. Her powerful jaws closed around his body, and he squeezed his eyes shut, expecting to be crushed.

But she applied just enough pressure to keep him trapped inside. His stomach dropped, like the way it did in an elevator. Wind rushed through her lethal fangs. She was flying, or leaping, he realized.

Seconds later she flung her head, opening her jaws in the process, and he went flying out. He hit the ground and rolled, catching glimpses of the dragon lunging forward in a liquid smooth motion, jaws closing around the front of their vehicle. She lifted it and shook until all the humans bounced out, and then tossed it into the air. The plates of armor around her neck lifted and spun, a bright red light erupting from underneath. A river of flames so hot he could feel the heart from the ground shot up and swallowed the vehicle whole.

Not even a moment later, her jaws snapped shut audibly, cutting off the flow. All that was left of the truck was a handful of smoking scraps small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. Her claws dug down into the sand, she dropped her head with a graceful arc of her neck, "Get _OUT_!"

Bry stood up, hauled to his feet by Ray who was bruised and battered, and ran. The rest of his men, surprisingly in one piece, followed.

"Next time," someone shouted, "you're doing this shit on your own!"

* * *

><p><strong>The logical, teeny, tiny part of my brain was like, 'wait until you catch up on art projects, moron!' and then there was this much louder voice that was screaming, 'I'MSOEXCITEDFORTHEMTOREADITCAN'TWAITTOPOSTIT POST IT <em>DAMMIT<em>!' so I did. **

**Anyway, I pretty much took a vote on the last update of TLF to see what story you guys would be interested in seeing first and everyone agreed on The Storyteller, so here it is! And _yes, _these humans were hunting autobot sparklings, and _yes, _Sundance just, literally in some cases, scared the shit out of them. It's awesome seeing her as this insanely powerful, huge predator instead of a cute little, snappy sparkling. **

**And I love the fact that she came out of the earth. ^^ Also, this story is based 20 years after TLF. I put a big span of time between the two because, obviously, Sundance needed time to grow...and grow she has...**

**Much love, let me know what you think!**

**And if you are new to the series, go to my profile and start with The Guardian before you read this, please! **

**Sundance, Bry, his team, the currently unnamed sparklings, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Watching the humans scramble like headless chickens, she couldn't help but consider torturing them-plucking them from the ground and dropping them from high up in the sky. These _men_ were nothing like _her _human family, who, of course, had flaws but were no where near this...insanely, stupidly, cruel. _Hunting SPARKLINGS! __**Primus**__, heads are going to roll when mom and dad find out!_

She shook lightly, trying to get rid of the sand in her armor, and narrowed her optics. _This autobot-hunting is getting out of control...and for the sake of friggin' war. _Her claws flexed, glinting dangerously in the sun. She continued to watch the retreating humans who were moving pretty slagging fast on foot despite their limps and sprains. She smirked when she heard one of them shout, "Next time you're doing this shit on your own!"

"Oh, you spineless excuses for men," She started, raising a hand to curl her claws into a fist, "there _won't_ _be_ a 'next time'!"

Sundance blinked, turning when she felt an insistent tug on her spark. There was an echoing 'CLANG' as one of the sparklings flew across the sand and happily slammed into her leg. He flung his arms open and wrapped them around her, "Hi, 'Dance! It's about fragging time you showed up!" He shot a glare at her, "you're the older sibling here, you're _supposed_ to be there for me!"

"First of all, stop cursing. You're _just _in your second frame, do you _want _Mimi to scrub your mouth out with soap again?" He scowled. She continued, "_second, _Flash, why the _pit _are you outside autobot territory? You KNOW how dangerous it is out here!"

He snorted, "Mom lets you go out on your own!"

"Only to come _here_, where there is _more _autobots!" She vented, "and that hasn't happened in twenty years! Geez, punk!"

"I'm not a punk!" He snapped, climbing up her leg to sit on her back. He blinked, freezing with one leg up in the air when someone let loose a loud, "AHEM."

Both looked down at the other sparklings, also fresh in their second frames. The heavy black one was supporting the red one, who was staring with awe-filled optics. The red one whispered, "You're...you're Sundance! The sparkling that took on Galvatron!"

Sundance straightened, "That battle happened a long time ago, young mech. And I wasn't the only one that fought that day."

"Yeah, but even dad talks about it still, and how you were just a sparkling and burning away at his armor!" he pushed. He blinked like he suddenly realized something, then glared at Flashback, "You didn't tell me she was your sister!"

"Aye, aye, aye," her brother groaned, rubbing his face, "here we go." Sundance glanced at him, before turning back to the little mechs standing before her. _This must be Ironhide's and Optimus' creations, created a while after Flashback...Warhammer and Solaris. Primus, they're growing fast._

Sundance's optics narrowed. She cut him off in the middle of arguing with her brother, "You're hurt."

He blinked, "No...I just can't feel all of my legs."

Sundance stepped closer, lowering her head and tilting it so she could get a better look at them. Warhammer, the heavier of the two, tensed up like he didn't trust her. She said softly after making sure none of his energon lines had busted "I've learned a few things from dad, but I don't know if I can help you..."

"But if we go back to Ratchet, they'll know we were out here! Are you fraggin' crazy, 'Dance?" Flashback started again. Sundance shrugged her shoulders, nearly making him tumble off, "_Enough _with the cursing! Your creators are going to find out anyway-"

"WHAT!" Warhammer exclaimed.

"Optimus _needs _to know about this! The Hunters are getting braver-they've never attacked a bot so close to base before, never mind defenseless sparklings!" She lowered her head and opened her mouth. Their optics got _huge _when they saw her teeth. Warhammer pushed them both back, but not quick enough. She, very, _very_ gently, wrapped the tips of her fangs around their armor and lifted them into the air. She placed them on her back, behind her brother, "You three have made me late to the meeting that he specifically _asked me _to attend, so we'll just have to fly there."

Warhammer stared, "You mean...fly-fly? Like...up in the air fly?"

"What's the matter? You never flown before?"

His voice was a squeak, "No!"

"You gotta use your arms and your legs to hang on," Flashback instructed, "like this-" Sundance smiled when she felt him squeeze her armor as hard as he could. "-and hang on! 'Dance likes to fly _fast_!"

She chuckled when three pairs of arms and legs locked down on her armor like little anchors. She opened her massive wings, "Don't worry, boys, I won't fly _that _fast."

She leaped forward, motion rolling through her body and pushing right into her legs. She shoved off the earth then gave a single, powerful beat, and they were flying. Her smile grew when Flashback started laughing madly, like he always did when they flew together. She couldn't wait to fly with their youngest brother, too. He was too small now, but soon he would be soaring with them.

She sang softly as she flew, angling her wings to catch the winds so she'd fly faster. She made sure to be aware of her precious cargo, who were enjoying themselves. In minutes, the restored autobot base came into view. She blinked, noticing that quite a few things had changed since she'd last seen the place...then again, that had been a little less than twenty years ago. Of course there would be changes.

"It's gotten bigger, huh?" Flashback called over the winds, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Yeah," Sundance answered with a slight nod, "but it still feels like home."

Her optics brightened when they fell upon a familiar, dusty little hangar. Jetfire's hangar. Her spark sang softly at the thought of seeing him again, after such a long time. _He should be at the meeting..._

_...The meeting that I'm fifteen minutes late to. _She vented softly. _Cut that out, femme! You saved sparklings. It was worth it. _She winced when Flashback gave a particularly loud 'WHOOP', and tacked on to her thoughts, _At least I hope so. _

Sundance landed lightly, hardly stirring the sands. She folded her wings with a last flick to knock some sediments loose that were stuck between her bladed feathers. The doors slid open, the alarm system recognizing her energon signature instantly.

"Ratchet will be at the meeting," Solaris offered.

"Thank you," Sundance hummed softly. She walked down the long hallways, ignoring the curious stares she was getting from some mechs she didn't even recognize. Apparently, they didn't know her either. It must have been pretty odd seeing a red dragon carrying three sparklings on her back, one of which belonging to their Prime.

Sundance found her way to the massive doors. She waited only a second for the doors to open, then she casually strolled inside, silencing all the conversation that had been going on. Every optic was on her. Someone in the back whistled, another whispered, "_Primus_, she's grown."

Sundance stopped in the center of the room, bending her neck to lift all three of the little sparklings from her back with her teeth, "Sorry I'm late. I had some..._baby_-sitting to do."

"_Hey_!" Flashback snapped.

Optimus stepped forward, a soft look in his optics, "What were you three up to today?" Sundance placed them in his hands.

She sat down on the floor, cutting them a look, "Ratchet needs to take a look at them first, they're lucky they weren't offlined."

The room filled with a heavy silence. Flashback whirled around and shook his fist at her, using their sibling bond, _'When I get my hands on you, I'll-'_

Solaris looked up at Optimus, "I can't feel my legs."

"Primus," Ratchet grumbled, making his way over, "what trouble did you three find this time?"

"I found them outside base territory," Sundance answered, optics narrowing, "where they were attacked by Hunters."

Optimus went still, optics becoming distant. Ratchet stared at her with wide optics, "They were attacked by Hunters?"

"Dad-we..." Solaris vented softly, "we didn't know we'd crossed the line..."

"Sundance saved us," Warhammer unexpectedly chipped in, turning to look at her with deep blue optics, "she came out of the ground and chased them away...she even blew up their truck! It was awesome!"

"Solaris has been injected with something, it's not life threatening but it is harmful," Ratchet said, tone grave, "I need to take them to the med bay, now."

Elita approached from the back, looking around Optimus to give them a stern look, "We'll talk about this later."

The three hung their heads as the medic promptly scooped them up and turned to the door. Sundance stood and stepped to the side, watching him go. When the doors slid shut behind him, she stepped towards Optimus, drawing his attention. Her optics were sad and worried, "Optimus, we need to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I made OP and 'Hide dads...Warhammer was originally Hammerhead, and on Solaris' name...I was trying to find some spaceconstellation related name that didn't sound retarded that WASN'T Orion...Anyway, yep. Twenty years has passed so the base has grown and so has the earth-autobot-population, including Elita. And I'm _wondering _just _where _Flashback got his bad mouth...I believe it starts with an R and ends with an X...**

**Anyway, let me know what you think. Much love, hope you enjoyed!**

**(and I haven't explained the autobot-hunting yet for a reason. ;))**

**Sundance, the sparklings, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Optimus' thoughts were split between worrying about his sparkling, wondering how he would deal with his sparkling once he was cleared to leave the med bay, and over just _how much _Sundance had grown. How long had it been? Twenty years?

He remembered the first time Demona had placed the sparkling in his hand, how she had been tiny enough for Gears to tote around-and the woman had made it a point to tote her around _alot_-and how she had been so fascinated by his height and the color of his armor. She had been a fat little thing then, so round it took her months to learn how to actually walk, and even _then _her belly drug on the floor.

Now she was an adult, easily heavier than almost any mech here-excluding Ironhide and himself, of course, although it was a _close_ call-with that long, armored, spaded tail and her colossal wingspan. Her shoulder wasn't as tall as his hip, but she was still a big femme, like her mother. She was beautiful, too. Her body had become long and lean, her legs were thick and powerful. Her neck was long and serpentine like the classic dragons of human myths. Her claws were big and sharp. On her head was a pair of sleek horns, and her scarlet optics were clear and almost vivid with emotion. The small sparkling that used to pounce on Ironhide from the shadows and play pranks on Ratchet had turned into a stunning predator.

Then again, he should have expected it, considering the way she battled Galvatron fearlessly for hours without tiring before she'd even grown into her second frame. He had known then that she was destined to be something great.

Now the red dragon was walking towards him, wings folded comfortably at her sides and tail lifted just enough so it didn't drag on the floor. She stopped before him, "Optimus, we need to talk."

Optimus vented softly, "Thank you for saving the sparklings, Sundance."

"Any of us would have done it," she said softly, "these Hunters are getting brave. They had the sparklings the second they stepped out of the territory."

"_That _close to base?" Arcee questioned, "they've done some risky things, but...that?"

"At home, mom and dad have been busy setting up new security. They've been attacking us, too, and have even threatened my uncles."

"This is getting out of control," Elita said softly, still standing beside him. Chromia cursed from her place, "It would be easier if we could just blast them all to the pit-"

"No," Optimus cut in, sending her a sharp look, "we don't harm humans, Chromia."

She vented sharply, "They are a danger to our sparklings!"

"I've been speaking with the government," Optimus said, "they're slow to respond. All we can do is increase security here, as well, and keep a close optics on those sparklings. We've already got Jazz and Prowl watching the boundary...we'll start patrolling as well."

Sundance paused, "Is that where he is? I knew it was a bit too...quiet in here."

He spared her a small smile despite the stressful situation. "Yes. Ironhide is busy taking the twins to the brig," Optimus added, "Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Jetfire are out scouting."

At the mention of Jetfire, the femme seemed to perk up, optics automatically searching. Then she caught on to the rest of his statement and seemed to sink into herself with disappointment. His optics softened, he _knew _how much she adored Jetfire. In turn, the old Seeker had been in a state of depression since she'd left twenty years ago.

She recovered though, with a quick flick of her bladed feathers that was so small he wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been watching her so closely. Sundance blinked in confusion, and sat down again, "Decepticons?"

"No, scouting for new arrivals."

"New...arrivals..." Sundance tilted her head.

"This is why I called you here," Optimus said, "I need you to find them and bring them to base."

Her long tail curled around her body, spaded end tapping on the floor in a gesture he didn't quite recognize. When she spoke, her voice was almost cautious, "I don't understand." Sundance eyed him carefully, "if you've already sent a team of autobots out..."

"These...mechs," Optimus hesitated, "are different than regular bots. They only trust and listen to two mechs, Wheeljack and myself, but they might trust you to lead them here."

Again, he got a blank, confused look. _Primus, I hope Demona and Jolt don't find out about this any time soon..._He straightened, "The Dinobots are arriving tomorrow, and I need you to retrieve them."

Sundance's optics widened.

* * *

><p><strong>Yep.<strong>

**I did it. And good job, Purrpix! You guessed part of the plot to the story. Our beloved Grimlock will actually be making an appearance in this one.**

**I hope you enjoyed, much love!**

**Sundance, the sparklings, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

A minute of silence passed.  
>Then another.<br>And...one more.

Sundance's processor was literally _stumped. _Her spark was uneasy in her chest, and all she could do was stare at Optimus, unable to react even as all thirty-two feet of him moved forward a step, dropping gracefully into a kneel. Everyone else just watched in silence, a few looking a little amused over her reaction.

_'Sundance?' _Flashback pulled, _'I know it was a dumb idea...but us walking off base is seriously making you glitch?' _For once, the little punk was genuinely concerned. His voice went from concerned to horrified, _'Dads going to beat the slag out of me for this! Frag!'_

Sundance snapped back to reality with an internal snort. She growled, _'STOP cursing!'_

Her brother went silent.

Sundance shook her head lightly, facing Optimus with a near dumb expression. She tried to come up with something intelligent to say, but all that came out was a graceful, "Wha?"

He answered evenly, "I need you to escort Grimlock and his fellow dinobots back to base."

When she stared blankly again, he released a soft vent, "Sundance..."

"Wait, wait, wait..." Sundance sat back, shifting the core of her balance into her butt so she could lift her hands from the floor. She bent her neck, wrapping a claw around her chin in a surprisingly human gesture, the other arm crossing her chest, "You want _me, _who has _never _had experience with these mechs to go out and _persuade _them to NOT kill me and bring them back?"

He gave her an amused look, "I see your creators haven't spared you any details on Grimlock."

"Oh, believe me, when the little ones want to hear horror stories, they almost always involve that mech," Sundance said.

Chromia chuckled, "I'll give Demona credit, she certainly raised a _wise _little warrior. Even Ironhide hates tampering with that mech's temper."

"And we're forgetting the fact that I _look _like a decepticon. This is because I'm a beast-bot, isn't it?" Sundance added slowly, raising an optic ridge.

"Not quite so much," Optimus said, though there was something in his voice. She sent him a look that had him chuckling.

Sundance dropped her hand from her chin to cross her arms, "When do I depart?"

His gaze softened, "They are not due to arrive until tomorrow morning."

Sundance perked at this, a wicked grin pulling at her lips to bare black, sharp fangs. She narrowed her optics in a sly way, "Excellent."

She was nearly shaking with laughter when an utterly confused look filled their noble Prime's face. He opened his mouth to ask, but she beat him to it, "This is wonderful! Gives you enough time to explain this little mission to my dad!"

_Oh, if cybertronians could crap themselves..._Sundance cackled internally at his expression.

"He's...coming?"

"Tonight!" She confirmed cheerfully, "Remember? Flash was only suppose to stay for a couple of days. I was going to bring him home, but mom had a feeling that you'd need me to stay a few days longer and Flash has got some, uh, _chores _to do, so dads on his way as we speak!"

"_Primus..._" He almost groaned, raising a hand to press to his face. Sundance shifted so that she had all four limbs on the ground, and stood.

Her expression softened, and she stretched her neck up to touch her nose to his cheek, "It's good to see you, Optimus. I miss our naps." As strange as it sounded, she knew that he understood, which was proved when he smiled. When she was a sparkling, he would be assigned the awful task of baby-sitting and they would often end up falling into recharge together in his office, spread out pathetically in his big chair.

She felt his hand brush over her horns much like he used to do, "I wish it was under better circumstances."

She nodded, stepping back. She grinned at Chromia, "Tell 'Hide to watch his back. His own personal nightmare is back in town."

The femme smirked, "Don't hurt his pride too much, Sundance."

Sundance titled her head back with a soft bark of laughter before asking, "Am I dismissed?"

Optimus answered with a motion of his hand. She turned around and walked back out of the conference room, pausing for a moment just outside. She frowned, _I was hoping to see Jetfire...but if he's out scouting, then he probably won't be back until dark. Ironhides at the brig..._She considered hiding in his workspace so she could give him a proper 'Sundance greeting', thinking fondly on the memories when she would hide on his shelves and pounce on him when he was unaware. _That could be fun...if I wasn't fourty fraggin' feet long. Not many hidey-holes in there for someone longer than Optimus is tall._

So, that little idea was crossed off the list. She started walking aimlessly, pausing to look over anything new. _I wonder how Wheeljack is?_

She considered stopping by his lab, and ended up abandoning the thought as soon as it crossed her processor. _Dangerous territory in there._

She raked her processor for anyone else that she would enjoy bugging. There was always Ratchet, but she didn't want to invoke his wrath if the sparklings were anywhere near. That mech had an infamous temper that even Optimus avoided at all costs.

_Primus I miss Jetfire._

Her optics were on the floor now, narrowed in frustration. She passed several bots in the hall. A few paused to look her over, having never seen her before, but most went on their merry way. Then there was one rather _familiar _set of footsteps that strolled right past, paused, turned around, and sprinted back. It didn't register in her processor until a mech called, overjoyed, "Primus, 'Dance! You got _huge_!"

Sundance stopped, lifting her head to stare at a certain little saboteur as he grinned widely, absolutely thrilled to see her. Sundance couldn't help but grin back, "Jazz!"

He laughed, almost bouncing over, "Look at 'cha!" He held his hands up with about a foot of space between them, "I remember when you were _this _tiny! Causin' all sorts of trouble!"

Abruptly, he leaned in close, lowering his voice, "Tell me, you got the jump on old Iron-aft yet?"

She grinned wickedly at him, showing every sharp tooth. She lowered her voice, too, playing along, "He doesn't even know I'm here." He cackled.

"Jazz," Someone called in a monotone. Sundance blinked, turning her optics to a mech that looked like he had a human police cruiser as an alternate. This mech was a tall one, no where near Optimus' thirty-two feet, but much taller than Jazz. He was a slender mech, with door wings that weren't too different from her father's, only his were held up stiffly in either annoyance or alarm. She knew why the second she met his optics.

They were slightly narrowed, fixed on her. He was studying her armor, plated scales with sharp edges and her claws which were capable of shredding a human tank in one swipe. The truth was, she _did_ look like a very advanced, lethal predacon, but she was slagging proud of her 'blood lines'. Yes, her mother had started out as a decepticon, but she had _changed_ and become strong when every thing else collapsed around her. Being created as a decepticon just meant it took a hell of a lot to kill you, and every time you fell, you came right back up swinging. Besides, only one of Demona's creators had been a psychotic killer. The other had been a highly ranked autobot medic.

When he met her optics, he frowned. Jazz, on the verge of shaking with excitement, almost danced to his side, "Look, Prowler! It's Sundance! We ain't seen her in..." He counted in his head.

"The decepticon femme's sparkling," The taller added slowly, tacking on as an afterthought, "that's not my designation, Jazz."

Sundance narrowed her optics slightly, all humor leaving her face. She turned to face him squarely, wings raising marginally and feathers bristling. She corrected, "My femme creator is _not _a decepticon. She is just as much of an autobot as you are, and so am I."

He didn't say anything else, just continued to study her, like he was waiting for her to do something. Jazz looked back and forth between them, "She's right, Prowl. Demona offlined Megatron and Sundance fought against Galvatron when she was jus' a sparklin." Again, he demonstrated by raising his hands a with a foot of air between them, "she's the sparklin' I was tellin' you about, the one that used ta pounce on 'Hide in his own office!"

All three of them paused, turning around when hurried, tiny footsteps echoed down the hall. A second later and there was a resounding 'CLANG', and Sundance found her brother wrapped around her leg again. She raised an optic ridge, taking in his wide electric blue optics and his heaving sides. "WHAT are you doing, Flash?"

He clawed desperately at her, "Hey, awesome-big-sister-that-is-amazing-and-loves-me-so-much! Do me a favor and HIDE ME before that slagging crazy medic finds me!"

Jazz grinned again.

Sundance snorted, a small puff of black smoke raising from her nostrils. She folded her wings more tightly, "Why should I, runt?"

"Because you love me!" He whined, "'Dance! _Please?_ How can you say 'no' to this face?" He proceeded to smile _real_ innocently.

Sundance tilted her head, hearing the tell-tale sound of Ratchet stomping, searching for a missing patient. She dropped her head, bending her body so that she could put her face right next to his. He got all hopeful, and she whispered, "_No."_

"Oh, _come on!_ I'll do anything, sis!"

"Hmm..._anything_?"

He looked down the hall, optics still wide, before turning back to her with, "YES! Pit, YES! Anything!"

Sundance lifted a hand, examining her sharp claws in a bored manner, "Alright, then. I need someone to pick out all the sand from my feathers, anyway."

His jaw dropped, "_WHAT_!"

"You heard me."

Jazz was nearly rolling on the floor by now, laughing so hard he was shaking. Prowl was watching with a raised optic ridge.

"Are you FRIGGIN CRAZY!" Flashback roared, "That'll take DAYS!"

Sundance raised a hand to cup around a hidden audio receptor, "Is that a wrench I hear him polishing?"

The unbelievable anger on his face changed to horror. He pulled at her armor again, "Okay, okay! I'll do it! Just HIDE ME!"

Sundance slowly lowered her wings, spreading them just enough to let him crawl under. She folded them carefully over his body, effectively hiding the sparkling, but not before he grumbled, "Slagging evil sister!"

"And _stop cursing,_" Sundance added, turning back to Jazz. She winked at him, before looking at Ratchet as he snapped, "Where IS that hard-headed brother of yours, Sundance?"

Sundance tilted her head, "Flashback? He got away?"

"Unfortunately."

"You're loosin' your touch, Ratchet," Jazz piped up, face cleared smooth as if he hadn't just been gasping with laughter, "gotta whip those patients back inta shape!"

Ratchet cut him a look before returning to Sundance, "So I take it you haven't seen him, then?"

"He won't come to me because he knows I'll beat him for even thinking of stepping off base," Sundance snorted, shifting her wings marginally. She could feel Flash hugging her side, holding on for dear life.

Ratchet studied her before giving an approving nod. His optics softened, "It's good to see you again, Sundance, you've grown into a fine young femme. How are your creators?"

"Moms doing good. Dads been setting up new security around home to keep the hunters out, but you'll see him today." She smiled, "He misses you a lot, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded, "Is Demona and the sparkling coming as well?"

Sundance vented softly, "No. Moms staying home because Mimi is sick."

Jazz moved closer, "Whats wrong with her?"

"Age," Sundance answered, "her injuries are catching up with her, too."

"Primus," Ratchet said quietly, "the only downfall to our human allies is that their existence is far too short."

"Trust me, I know."

He vented, "I've got a sparkling to find BUT," he gave her a sharp look, "I expect to see you in my med bay before you leave for home."

Sundance grinned, "I think your med bay needs organizing."

Jazz smirked. Ratchet glared at her, "No, it certainly does _not._"

She cackled as he walked off. When the coast was clear, Jazz walked closer and dropped to a crouch by her side when she lifted her wing. He grinned widely at Flashback who was letting out a heavy vent of relief. Jazz poked him in the back, making him jump, "Looks like you two are pros at this stuff."

"Get to pickin', baby bro," Sundance said cheerfully, "that's _a lot _of sand."

Flashback grumbled, crawling up to settle on her back. Sundance felt him start pulling at her feathers carefully. Sundance inclined her head to the mechs then went on her way. After a while, she said, "You missed a spot."

Flashback shot her a look that would make lesser bots explode into flames.

* * *

><p><strong>OMG, Jazz! ^^ I loved that cute little moment. And yes, I stuck Prowl in there...kinda iffy on how I'm going to write him but I'll figure something out that stays true to his character. <strong>

**Yeah...Gears...that's pretty shitty.**

**Hope you enjoyed, review and let me know what you think about it!**

**Sundance, the sparklings, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

"Since you're making me do this," Flashback grumbled, "you should tell me a story."

Sundance was stretched out on the roof of the main building, wings spread out comfortably and feathers splayed so Flashback could get to them without cutting his hands. She was watching him from the corner of her optics, ever careful of him taking a tumble down and off the roof. They were a distance away from the edge, but she remained aware.

She hummed softly from deep in her chest, "You've heard them all."

He squinted at her, "You never told me about your battle with Galvatron. Everything I've heard is from Solaris-he can't shut up about you."

"Because mom doesn't want me putting ideas into your head," She cut him a look of warning, "There was only three of us left able. Mom was down. Optimus was down. Galvatron was swatting Wheeljack and Jetfire away like flies. I didn't have a choice but to jump in."

Flashback paused, "Did you really melt his armor?"

Sundance hesitated, before answering, "Not completely through, but I did leave some dents in him."

"Was he scary?" Sundance turned her head completely to him, catching the edge to his voice like he wasn't quite sure he even wanted to know.

Sundance turned, pressing her nose into his side. He automatically lifted an arm to wrap around her, keeping her close. She said softly, "We all feared him, brother. He was a nightmare, even among monsters. He took many lives."

"Like Paradox?" Flashback paused before correcting, "Angelus?"

Sundance tensed.

"Solaris heard Ratchet talking about her to Optimus...why doesn't mom talk about her?"

Sundance wouldn't answer. She carefully pulled her head away, turning back to the stretch of soft sand below. Thoughts of Paradox climbing down a mountain of all things, and joining in just when they needed her most. Her body had been crushed and cracked, Sundance could still see the plates of her energon streaked white armor clattering down, bouncing off Galvatron to hit the floor of the bunker. She remembered watching in awe as Paradox, though on the verge of offlining herself, ripped and tore into Galvatron, giving up her arm to tear a hole into his armor. Later, she gave up her life to reach through the same hole and crush his spark.

"You knew her, didn't you?"

Sundance vented softly, "Paradox was my friend. I never had the chance to get to know her, but she meant a lot to mom."

He stopped working, small hands spread out over one of her long, blade-like feathers, "What was she like, 'Dance?"

"Beautiful, strong," Sundance hummed softly deep in her chest, "she moved and looked like a predator, and I think we were all afraid of her at first...but she ended up saving our lives."

"I can't wait until I'm old enough to fight," He suddenly said, "I'm gonna beat the crap out of those slaggin'-" Sundance cut him a sharp look and he quickly corrected himself, "-_stinkin' _'cons!"

Sundance tilted her head. He blinked and yelped when her tail curled around his ankle and lifted him into the air. He glared at her , crossing his arms over his chest as she brought him to dangle upside down in front of her face. She eyed him, "It's not as glorious as it sounds, runt."

He scoffed, "Whatever, you're just trying to keep me from getting my aft-" She shook him just enough to make his armor rattle, and he, again, corrected himself with a glare, "-_butt _handed to me."

"That's _exactly _what I'm doing," Sundance growled, "YOU don't know what it's like to have a decepticon tear his claws through you, YOU don't know what it's like to be dropped like trash from fifty feet in the air," she paused, softening her voice, "I'm trying to protect you, Flash. We all are."

"And we would have had those humans, too, if you hadn't shown up!" He snapped.

Sundance narrowed her optics, crossing her claws over each other, "Oh, really?"

He tried his hardest to puff out his chest, which was quite a sight considering that he was hanging upside down with a scowl on his face that would put Ratchet to shame. He gave a quick nod, "Yeah! War was just about to start bustin' heads!"

"I'd like to see you three 'bustin' heads'," Sundance muttered, "so if I hadn't swooped in and saved your little afts, you would have been just fine?"

"_Perfectly _fine!"

She rolled her optics and dropped him. Flashback hit the roof in a pile of flustered sparkling. She watched in amusement as his arms and legs waved around in the air before he managed to get up. He shot up and glared at her, fists clenched at his sides, "What was that for!"

"Next time I see you having the crap shot out of you by the Hunters, I'll just stand back and let you deal with them your own way," She said simply, standing to stretch.

Flashback continued to glare at her. He opened his mouth to start telling her off when they both perked to the sound of a deep voice cursing from below. Sundance turned slowly, being careful not to make any sounds with her claws. Flashback hopped up her arm to sit on her shoulder like their little argument hadn't just happened. He held on tight but leaned forward with curious optics.

Sundance stopped near the edge, stretching her neck and tilting her head down to see. Her optics zeroed in on the source of cursing and the angered, heavy stomps. She grinned she saw the familiar, thick black armor of a certain weapon's specialist. She shifted her weight from foot to foot excitedly, noting that he had his back turned to her and was currently snapping at his sparkling. Warhammer was taking the punishment with a straight face and stiff posture, showing no signs of backing down or pleading for forgiveness, ice blue optics locked on his creator.

Sundance's grin grew wider. This was her chance.

_'Get down, Flash, and for Primus' sake, stay AWAY from the edge!'_

_'Why do you get to have all the fun, Sundance!' _He grumbled back. He climbed down anyway, stepping back. Sundance snorted internally and answered him.

_'Because I'm the oldest, runt.'_

_'Big friggin' lizard.'_

She shot him a sharp look then turned back to Ironhide and Warhammer. She kneaded the edge with her claws before crouching. Warhammer finally noticed her. He cast her one humorous look when Ironhide wasn't looking and grinned. When his creator turned back to him he smoothed out his features and acted as if he hadn't seen her.

Sundance chuckled inside, _I'm gonna get along with that little sparkling just fine._

She opened her jaws as wide as she could in a roar that shook the structure she was standing on and leaped. She was laughing on the inside when the massive mech went rigid and froze. If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn it was out of fear.

He managed to turn wide, round optics to her before she collided with his body, knocking him flat on his aft. She moved quickly, using moves that _he _had taught her as a sparkling. She pinned him down, laying her full weight on his body and leaving all of his weak points bare. A low, grating, fierce snarl reverberated deep in her chest as she slowly lowered her face to his, massive black fangs bared. He continued to stare at her, speechless.

She asked, voice a dangerous growl, "Do you yield?"

Something seemed to flash through his optics, and suddenly the huge mech was laughing. It shook his entire frame. Sundance's snarl slid into a big, goofy smile. He struggled, managing to wrench his leg free from her claws to plant a heavy kick to her chest. Sundance stumbled back with a laugh. Before she could react he was on top of her, clenching his hand around her throat and the other hand braced against her chest, lifting her and successfully throwing her against the wall of the autobot base. He answered back with a grin, "Do _you _yield?"

"Never!" Sundance snarled, twisting free of his hold with a graceful turn of her body. She swung her tail, knocking his feet out from under him and lunged forward, angling her wings to move faster. He was ready for her this time and took hold of her jaws, holding them shut. The momentum of her attack had them rolling down the slight incline and right into one of the dunes.

By then, Flashback was jumping up and down on the roof, "Get 'em, 'Dance! Show 'em who's boss!"

Sundance broke free, working her long body like a python, wrapping every inch of her body around him and squeezing. She heard the doors to the base slide open and feet hurriedly pounding through the sand. Sundance ignored them, focused solely on beating Ironhide. When he wiggled and twisted in a failed attempt to get free, she laughed again, "What's the matter, 'Hide? Don't tell me I've beaten you already!"

"Not a chance, punk!"

His hand slipped free and wrapped around her horns, peeling her back almost harshly.

"Ironhide!" Someone shouted in fear. The footsteps kept coming. Again, Sundance ignored them. She tensed her wings, keeping them cupped around them as she struggled to keep her hold. The slagging mech was just too strong, though, and he managed to unwrap her and toss her.

Sundance landed and rolled past Warhammer, who was watching the whole thing with awe-filled optics. She caught a flash of blue as Chromia dropped down to lift him, the femme calling to someone, "Stay where you are, soldier! There's no trouble here!"

Sundance jumped to her feet, feeling the sands shift and rumble as Ironhide sprung to his feet just as quickly and charged.

A mech she didn't recognize called, "But that slaggin' 'con is attacking him!"

Her spark clenched in anger, the need to say something filling her. She turned on impulse to address him, only to have Ironhide slam into her and send her flying. Sundance's wings exploded outward, feathers splayed and halting the motion of her body. Again, she turned to look at the mech. Her optics passed over red and blue armor, and then Optimus' voice reassured in a calm, amused tone, "She is no decepticon. Sundance is an autobot at spark, and has been with us since the day of her creation. She's not fighting to offline. They're good friends-this is how they say hello."

Sundance grinned, turning her body to face Ironhide again. _He always knows what to say..._

Chromia added almost sharply, "Ironhide can hold his own against one slaggin' 'con!"

She rushed the huge mech, straightening her neck and head-butting him in the gut hard enough to send him stumbling back. She whipped her body around, lashing her spaded tail across his knees and making them buckle. He reached up to grab her but she was too quick, stepping back and out of range before leaping forward again. She knocked him backwards, trapping him down and locking her claws over the thick plates of his armor. Her long tail snaked around his legs, tightening enough to prevent movement.

He struggled and yanked and wiggled hopelessly before giving a sharp vent. Sundance smirked, "I got you this time."

"Don't get cocky," He grumbled.

The smirk shifted into another grin. She stood and pulled her tail loose with a simple flick and started to walk away, optics turning up to Flashback who was leaning over the edge and laughing hysterically. Just as she was about to yell at him for being so close to the edge, something gripped her tail and whipped her around in one powerful yank, sending her sprawling, face down, into the sand.

She growled softly as Ironhide stood up with a smug look, wiping his hands together to get rid of the sand, "You still need lots of practice."

Sundance lifted her head, casting him a sharp look that promised a world of pain later, "That's fine. Gives me time to plot my revenge."

He let out a bark of laughter before he reached down and, grasping the plates of armor between her shoulders, lifted her to set her back on her feet, "Welcome back."

She shook out the sand in her armor and prodded her nose into his side in greeting before turning to the mech that had freaked out earlier. She walked up to him, secretly laughing on the inside at his reaction. This was a small, young, _paranoid_ mech. It was almost as if he'd never seen anything like her before-then again, there probably hadn't been a bunch of dragons running around on Cybertron. He was almost shaking in his armor when she stropped in front of him.

Sundance had made sure to take slow, predatory, silent foot steps, exaggerating the way how her claws curled and making sure to show some of her long black fangs. She let a puff of black smoke out of her throat, the cloud breaking through her teeth to stream up.

She stopped and stared at him with narrowed optics for a long moment before before letting her butt hit the ground with an audible '_thunk_'. She held her clawed hand out to him in the human hand-shake gesture and smiled kindly, "I'm Sundance," then, almost as an afterthought, she tacked on, "of the autobots."

Her tone was cheerful despite the beating she'd just gone through. The mech jumped at the sound, then stared at her in pure stumped confusion. She cackled inside when he blinked slowly at her before his knees buckled under him and he fell on his aft. He didn't even bother to stand up as she circled around him, completely ignoring the snickers and full out laughs that were going on around them. His wide optics stayed fixed on her.

She tucked her nose under his shoulder and eased him back up to his feet effortlessly. Her smile was softer now, showing less tooth, "Usually when a bot offers you their designation, you're supposed to give yours."

He stood up on his own, stiff as a board, but didn't answer. She snorted, turning to Optimus who was looking way too amused, "This ones articulate, isn't he?"

"Not many cybertronians, bot or con, has been able to catch Ironhide off guard and even _wrestle _him like you just did," Elita-1 said, making her presence known. Her optics were soft, "the stories I heard about you are all true, then."

Sundance grinned, leaving the poor mech alone to go to the roof. She stood up on her back legs and stretched her body until her nose was touching the edge. Flashback scrambled down, holding on tightly, "That was FRAGGIN' AWESOME!"

"Stop cursing."

"Right, right," He muttered before dropping down to her back and kicking his feet against her shoulders lightly, "how did you do that, 'Dance?"

Sundance smiled at Ironhide who had turned back to his sparkling, "Lot's of practice, Flash."

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter we may be seeing the dinobots for the first time. Sorry I'm stretching this out, but I wanted everyone to get a feel of her character first. <strong>

**Anyway, tell me what you think!**

**Sundance, the sparklings, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	6. Chapter 6

**hapter 6**

Sundance shifted her wings, spreading her feathers apart briefly in an attempt to loosen some of the sand that was _still _there. She was resting inside the hangar, arms crossed in front of her. Flashback was lost in recharge between her arms, spread out pathetically with his toe plates up in the air. Every once and a while, he'd stir enough to move, flinging his arms out or turning ungracefully to rest on his face. She watched him with soft red optics, remembering the very moment when his optics had onlined for the first time.

He had been tiny, then. Small enough for her Mimi to wrap up in a blanket and cradle him close on cold winter nights.

"That's the first time I've seen him so still," Optimus said, announcing his presence. He stood over her, watching with soft blue optics. Sundance turned her head up.

"If he's not knocked out on the ground, he's trying his hardest to cause some kind of trouble," Sundance agreed. She grinned, "So, how does it feel to be sparkling-sitting twenty-four seven?"

"It's..." He seemed to fish around for the right term.

Sundance grinned at him, "Horrifying?"

The expression on his face was answer enough. She laughed softly, changing subjects, "Dad's almost here. You better start rehearsing, you're going to need a slagging good reason to convince him to leave you in one piece."

"Sundance."

She focused on him again, "Optimus."

He gave her a small smile, "There's been a change in plans."

She raised an optic ridge. _Watch. He's going to say that they're coming ahead of schedule._

Sure enough, he said, "The Dinobots are approaching earth much faster than we anticipated."

_Yep. _Sundance let out a soft vent, "You need me to leave tonight, don't you?"

"As soon as you are able."

Sundance flicked the end of her tail back and forth in thought, then dropped her head and hooked her fangs around her brother's armor carefully. She lifted him and placed him into Optimus' waiting hand, pushing herself to her feet. The sparkling didn't so much as shift during the exchange. Sundance shook her body to loosen up tense cables. She cut him a look, "Pray that I come back in one piece."

"Be careful, Sundance."

"Oh, believe me, I will," Sundance said on her way outside, "you just worry about talking to dad."

As if on cue, Jazz opened a communications link with her to give her the coordinates and wish her luck. Sundance took a running start as soon as her claws touched the sand outside, spreading her wings and rolling her body forward before pulling her wings down harshly. The wind rushed beneath her wings and lifted her.

She ascended in seconds, rising high into the air. Sundance tilted her wings and shot forward. Her blade like feathers glinted in the fading sunlight.

* * *

><p>The air was cold and the full ivory moon was high in the sky, casting pale, chilling light over the earth. Day had fallen away to night before Sundance reached the designated landing site. She stretched out her wings, pulling wide, slow circles over the field while scanning her narrowed red optics over it.<p>

It was the far corner of some rich farmer's ranch, about a hundred acres away from any streets or humans. The only thing that even suggested the land wasn't unclaimed was the near pitiful barbed wire fence that leaned tiredly along the edge of the property.

The yellow grass was tall and wild, and there was no trails or fresh tracks, so she automatically knew that no one had been this far back into the pasture for a while. There was no structures, nothing to help hide her form in case these mechs turned on her. She cursed quietly out loud when she realized that she would be completely unprotected out here.

As far as she knew, she was the only one coming to greet Grimlock and the others, and there was still a big chance that he'd 'shoot now, ask later' once he saw her optics and the shape of her armor. Sundance was no where close to being weak, but she was alone and there was no telling just how many of the dinobots were with him.

Sundance landed softly in the grass, shifting her wings uneasily. She snapped her jaws shut audibly, _That's fine. I'll just melt the slag out of their armor and leave their afts here._

She watched the skies carefully, straining all of her senses. She stood for what felt like hours, stone-still and tense, before a streak of light flashed across the sky. A steady rumble began to fill the air. Her sensors picked up a new autobot signal, broadcasting strongly as if the mech had no fear of attracting any decepticons that may be near by.

It wasn't much longer before the thin streak grew until the very earth was trembling. Sundance moved back with rapid steps, slinging her entire frame down low on instinct as the first of the dinobots landed in a show of flaming, smoking alloys. The very earth seemed to groan as it shook from the impact, nearly knocking her on her aft.

Sundance twisted her head around when a second crashed beside the first in a much smaller pod. She chanced a look up to scan for anymore incoming bots. When she saw and sensed no more, Sundance turned her side to them and lunged forward, rolling her shoulders almost harshly and beating her wings. She shot up into the air with enough force to raise a sharp wind and leave scars on the ground with her claws. _Stay in the air. They can't reach you here. Stay. In. The. Air. _

_...Primus these guys have got to be HUGE! _She vented softly, keeping her optics on them as she ascended out of range.

She was a long ways up when the first of the two transformed, scorched plates of the pod shifting back soundlessly and breaking apart. She watched as the craft fell away to a mech that would tower over even Optimus. He was thick, too, with a fist that was big enough to close around her neck and snap it in half like a sapling.

The massive mech started stomping around. She could hear the sounds of his feet from way up in the air. He seemed to be checking out his surroundings, but he didn't stray very far from his companion who was in the process of transforming into his natural form. Sundance squinted when a 'ping' resounded through her processor. She opened the requested link from Optimus. Immediately, he started, _'The dinobots have-'_

Sundance interrupted him, circling over the pair of mechs for the tenth time as they started to converse. _'I know. They're here-there's only two of them.'_

She vented when he pushed, _'Sundance...I need you to make sure neither of them are injured. Their comm. Systems are down, so we have no way of contacting them.'_

_'Well they're both perfectly fine, I'm watching them stomp around and growl right now.'_

_'Sundance...'_

_'Fine!' _She snapped, _'but if I survive this, you're baby sitting Flashback for a month!'_

Sundance pulled her wings in and plunged down with a fierce snarl, curling her lip plates up to bare her black fangs. She dove down in complete silence, angling her body so they couldn't see her. She landed as quietly as she could, the only sound the whisper of grass crushing beneath her claws. It was enough though, and both _massive _mechs spun around with weapons primed and claws gleaming.

Sundance held her ground though, sinking her claws into the earth to keep from jumping back. Her tail was stiff behind her, optics glaring fearlessly back. _No fear, _she reminded herself, _stand you ground._

It was all painfully still for what felt like minutes before the skinnier one leaned forward, a look of curious awe on his face. He started chattering in cybertronian, _"A femme!"_

Sundance took a slow step forward, and both snapped back to the present. The bigger one drew a massive sword with a plated blade that was thick and sharp enough to cleave her in two, and snarled. She broadened her stance and lowered her body slightly, wings opening in case she needed to take off. She asked, switching to cybertronian, _"Are you Grimlock?"_

In response he started forward. Each slow step shook the earth. He made no attempt to rush or charge, like he knew he could easily catch her. His optics were hidden behind some kind of visor and his mouth was covered by a guard, so she couldn't even read his expression, and that bothered the pit out of her. He finally spoke, voice a low, guttural growl, _"Decepticon."_

Her optics narrowed, anger flaring up in her spark. _Primus, what is up with these fragging mechs? _When he moved closer, she swung back a step and dropped to a crouch in one fluid movement. Her jaws snapped open, the plates of her face shifting to bare her lethal black fangs. She snarled out, _"Stand down, mech! I am no enemy, but I will be if you don't BACK THE PIT OFF."_

Her sharp response seemed to reach him because he paused. Sundance took her chance, loosening up tense cables with a quick little shake before tilting her head back to show the soft spot where her throat connected to her head, where the autobot symbol was stamped proudly. She waited a second, praying to Primus that he wouldn't just take the chance and chop her head off.

He didn't.

Slowly, she lowered her head again to stare into his optics, _"My designation is Sundance. Optimus sent me here to take you to base."_

He said nothing. The other one practically bounced forward, all smiley, and leaned around the other's hulking frame, _"I am Swoop, Cybertron's greatest flyer. Are you a dinobot?"_

The larger growled, _"Grimlock, king of the dinobots."_

_Someones a little arrogant..._Sundance folded her wings against her back now that things seemed to have calmed down. She looked at Swoop, _"No."_

_"You should be," _Here he looked at his leader, _"Grim, she should be a dinobot."_

All the mech said was, _"Optimus sent you?"_

Sundance nodded. He studied her before sheathing his massive sword. Swoop moved back, _"He wants us to find new alternates here, doesn't he?"_

_"Yep." _Sundance switched languages, going back to what she was used to speaking in, "you need to learn english, too. Most of the humans here speak it."

He tilted his head. He took a step towards her. On instinct, Sundance shifted back. She narrowed her optics, growling a warning. She told him, "Pick an alternate," then rolled her body forward. She pushed off the earth and shot into the air, aware of Swoop laughing. She heard him say, _"She's cute AND she flies!"_

Sundance shook her head and started to do slow circles above them, keeping her senses on alert to make sure no humans were making their way over. She was almost positive that _someone _had heard the dinobots land, or even seen them. She split her attention between keeping an optic on their surroundings and making sure that the dinobots were actually searching for an alternate.

Sundance chanced a look down when Grimlock snapped at Swoop over something. The smaller shook it off, complete unaffected. They were standing side by side, talking away in cybertronian, before Swoop hopped back as Grimlock began to transform. Sundance watched, unable to help her curiosity. He was such a massive mech...what form could he possibly take? No vehicles were big enough fit his frame...

She just about fell out of the sky when he finished transforming. _What the FRAG! And how the PIT are we supposed to sneak THAT back to base!_

Grimlock had transformed into a dinosaur. A big slagging dinosaur.

Standing at almost thirty feet, the mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex cast a colossal shadow over the earth. His splayed toes left giant, _deep _prints on the earth's surface. Sundance had been considered one of the largest autobots on earth, but this mech almost dwarfed her in size. From nose to tail, he was over fifty feet long. Was there even room for him at base?

_Primus, he's huge! _Sundance vented sharply.

He tested his new form, walking with slow, thundering steps. Swoop moved back further and squinted at him before giving an approving nod. Then _he _began to transform.

Sundance tilted her body down and landed lightly beside them again, safely out of biting range. Her optics fixed on Grimlock's jaws, realizing then just how much of a danger he was. She didn't need to study or calculate, she knew at a glance that one bite could offline her. Sundance took pride in the deadly length of her fangs, but Grimlock's set of teeth put hers to shame. His jaws were broad and short, made for crushing. His neck was thick to support his head and jaws, strong enough to lift a full grown mech high into the air. The claws on his feet were frightening, thick and long with a razor-like edge. She suppressed a shudder, forcing herself to stand tall.

She snapped, "How the pit are you supposed to go back to base like that?"

Swoop pushed off into the air as he finished his transformation, becoming another prehistoric creature, although he was built like a pterodactyl. He pulled one quick circle around them before landing uncomfortably close to Sundance. He stretched out his neck and eyed her with bright optics. Sundance flashed him her teeth before turning back to Grimlock who was still checking out his new form.

Swoop spoke, using english for the first time, "I thought the whole point of an alternate was to _hide._"

Sundance gave him a crazy look, "You call THIS hiding?"

He shrugged, "You stand out more than I do."

"_I _can't help it!" Sundance snapped, "this IS my natural form! Dragons are fictional, dinosaurs are extinct. _We_ can stay hidden if we use the clouds, but _he_-"

Grimlock abruptly turned on her, spreading his jaws wide open in a roar that shook her to her very frame. The ground shuddered as he stepped towards her, clearing the precious distance between them in one long stride. For a brief, terrifying second, all Sundance could see was his teeth. A gust of air hit her when he snapped his jaws shut mere feet away from her face.

Her spark was spinning wildly, processor stunned. _THREAT, _her instincts screamed.

Grimlock was staring at her with narrowed optics. He snarled out, "Enough talk. Take me to Optimus."

And just like that, the fear left her. _He did not just... _Her red optics flashed, narrowing. _Fragging bastard!_

Before she could stop to think, Sundance sat her aft down and glared back defiantly, "No."

Her response seemed to shock him. He actually pulled back a little in surprise, optics losing that harsh glint. He came right back though, twice as angry. But it didn't so much as bother her anymore. Not even when he cracked his jaws open and showed rows of fatal teeth. He roared, "NOW!"

Sundance held her ground, staying right where she was. He moved closer, completely covering her in his shadow. Swoop got the hint and backed off real fast, but she could not be moved. She remembered something her mother had told her not so long ago, _'The biggest mistake a mech can make is seeing a femme as a tool. No mech owns you, Sundance, and you let those slaggers know it.'_

_Thanks, mom, _Sundance thought fondly, reaching through the bond quickly to squeeze her mother's spark. Demona returned it almost immediately.

"I will make you speak, femme," Grimlock said, voice much lower. He was in her face again, and it took every ounce of her will power not to reach up and bite the slag out of his nose.

She snarled back, "You can't make me do anything, _mech._"

A wicked grin spread across his face, showing every tooth. He leaned in closer, waiting for her to make a run for it.

"I am not afraid of you," Sundance began, "I've seen my friends offline, and I have had to bury mechs that I have known since the day of my creation. I faced the Nightmare myself. I distracted him from my fallen comrades, and I kept him away from my family."

She stood up and stepped forward. When he didn't move, she took another step, soft clouds of black smoke streaming out between her fangs and rising up lazily above her. She kept moving forward until the mech, surprisingly, shifted back. She continued, "I didn't run from Galvatron, and I damn sure won't run from you."

Swoop stood back and watched as Grimlock was forced back another step. Sundance kept coming, "My designation is Sundance, NOT femme, and I don't take orders from you. I am not beneath you. I am not your personal slave. I am your equal, and you will treat me like one."

A low growl rolled up from his massive chest. Sundance stopped walking, tilting her head enough to glance at Swoop, "Let's go home."

with that, she pushed off into the air. Swoop shrugged at Grimlock before following her lead, leaving the massive mech to walk in silence below.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter took three days to write...it kicked my ass...so it's not written too well...probably should have worked more on it but I just wanted to be done with the thing.<strong>

**Anyway, all of the dinobots have an ego problem, but I raised Grimlock's intelligence some. He's still going to be an angry, clumsy shithead but he's not stupid. Swoop is one of the friendlier ones, so that's why I wrote him as being more of a happy, bouncy little guy.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!**

**Sundance and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sundance had to admit that despite Grimlock ranking number two on the biggest mechs she'd ever seen, one being Galvatron, the slagger could move.

His long, thick legs helped, cutting away the distance in wide strides. Every step was like a punch of thunder, tearing gouges in the earth's surface as he went. His body never stopped moving, and if anything was in his way, he didn't even bother stepping to the side or slowing down. Nope, he just plowed on through it like it was nothing.

Sundance kept a watchful optic on him, making sure he didn't just accidentally plow through any humans or animals, too. She was on edge, on the verge of diving down there and giving him a piece of her mind. She was still angry over the way he'd treated her earlier after finding his alternate. It didn't help that he broke a massive tree somewhere between here and the field. She remembered hearing the frightened cries of animals as he rammed it with his head, snapping it in half. She'd watched as the thick trunk fell beneath his feet, splintering and shattering. She was almost positive that any creature who once called the tree home was now dead. What made it worse was that it was the only slagging tree for a mile, and instead of just running around it, he had to tear it down like it didn't mean destroying a home and taking lives, even if they were small. _If Optimus assigns me to the dinobots, I'll strangle him._

She had a feeling he'd do anyway.

Swoop pulled a graceful, almost lazy barrel roll to pull up beside her. He'd been putting on a show of aerials and flips in the rear, testing his new set of wings. She'd rather enjoyed having her space for the time his own skills amused him. She cursed mentally when he fell into formation _close _to her. She felt his optics on her, but refused to acknowledge him.

Her optics flashed down in time to see Grimlock burst through another tree. An audible growl rolled out of her throat, black teeth flashing.

Swoop eyed her before laughing. Sundance slid her gaze to him next.

"For such a cute femme," He said, "you've got a lot of spark."

Sundance cast him a quick warning glare, "If this is your attempt of making me swoon, its not working."

Again, he laughed, "I like you, femme!"

"_Sundance,_" She corrected. Her optics shifted back down to Grimlock when he charged through something else.

Swoop took the moment to angle towards her, following her gaze, "That stuff really bothers you, doesn't it?"

"He's offlining living creatures," Sundance snarled, "of course it bothers me! And if you were as much of an autobot as you claim to be, then it would bother you, too!"

He blinked, "They're just lower species, they mean nothing."

She tensed, the blade-like feathers of her wings going stiff. The moonlight's reflection flashed over them, almost blinding the mech beside her. She said, voice low, "Anything given the gift of life means_ something._"

He winced at her cold whisper, "Whoa! Calm down, I didn't know you were so sensitive about this stuff!"

Sundance turned her gaze forward, blocking out the sound of Grimlock's massive feet and occasional proud roars. Swoop stayed where he was, still uncomfortably close. He didn't seem to mind, or even care. Blissful quiet stretched between them for a while, quiet that she was thankful for. Grimlock was an aft, but Swoop fit the 'annoying, mouthy, sidekick' part perfectly.

The mech edged closer to her, studying her like she was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. Sundance bit back a snort before pulling her wings in and rolling away. He jumped slightly at the sudden movement, but couldn't keep his optics off her as she evened out with a graceful flick of her massive wings.

Now that she was away from the mech, she loosened up. Sundance arced her body, optics turning down.

They were close to base now. She didn't know how they did it without drawing _some _kind of attention, but they made it. Sundance had _made_ Grimlock change course somewhere along the way so he didn't charge through any cities or streets like Mecha-Godzilla on a rampage. It had been a longer trip, long enough to carry on through an entire day and half way through the following night. Below, packed earth gave way to soft sand dunes.

She sensed Swoop increasing his speed to catch up with her, and made a split second decision that she would probably regret later. She rolled again, straightening out belly-up. She then curved down and locked her wings around her form as she fell towards the earth.

Her plates of armor lifted and spun, gaining speed as she grew closer and closer to the earth. She cackled inside when she hit the sand right in front of Grimlock, sending up a spray of gold in his face. The massive mech slammed to a stop with a snarl. She cast him a broad grin, showing every black tooth, before she plunged into the sands.

She disappeared into the earth, the spinning plates of her armor working to propel her forward as she curved around his massive form and shot towards base. She stayed close enough to the surface that they could see the sand shoot up around her, so they wouldn't get lost.

Her grin faded when she felt an almost sharp tug on her spark. Although she had four different bonds, she recognized him instantly.

Flashback was still here. Her dad was with him.

_Why haven't they left...?_ Concern filled her. It wasn't like her father to leave her mother alone for any longer than he had to. Although everyone knew she could defend herself, he absolutely refused to leave her side unless it was necessary. Sundance knew in her spark that it was because he'd come close to loosing her one too many times. So _something _had to be up if he was still here.

Then again, Optimus _had _sent Jolt's only daughter out to retrieve _Grimlock._

Sundance tilted her body up and shot out of the sands with a slight turn of her body, wings exploding outward. She twisted her form, armor settling back on her body, and landed on all fours. Before the sand even stopped pouring from her form, the familiar 'CLANG' rang through the air as Flashback shot across the distance between them and threw his body at her. He wrapped all four limbs around her arm, starting up immediately, "Wow, Sundance! Your head isn't chopped off!"

Sundance snorted but dropped her nose to prod him in the side lovingly, "Where's dad?"

"Inside yelling at Optimus."

"That's what I thought."

Flashback grinned, "I've never seen dad so fraggin'-" She cut him a look and he corrected himself, "-_freakin_' mad! And for once he's not yellin' at me!" He paused, scanning his optics around them. Sundance knew Grimlock and Swoop were still a ways away, but considering how much distance those two could cut through, it would only be minutes before they caught up.

Flashback looked up at her with bright blue optics, "So...where is he?"

"On his way." Sundance turned to enter base.

"Is he scary?"

She froze, clawed hand still raised in the air to take a step. _Sparklings. _

Her spark pulsing with a new panic, she swung her head around as the sound of Grimlock's feet reached them. She could feel subtle vibrations through the earth that made the sand shift.

If Grimlock was an aft to her, a full grown _femme, _how would he react to a pack of annoying sparklings? Yes, Sundance had wanted to send her brother flying once or twice, but she never once abused him. He was annoying as frag, but she couldn't imagine ever hurting him. But Grimlock..._Primus._

Swoop was diving towards them now, optics bright when they spotted her.

Sundance ignored him, swinging her body around so that she was between her brother and the incoming dinobots. Her sudden silence confused Flashback, who called her name worriedly.

Swoop landed with a laugh, "This is it, huh? This is base..."

Sundance ignored him, optics fixed on the monstrous form of Grimlock as he approached. He was still running, so he was approaching too fast. Flashback stayed glued to her leg. She felt him lean around to look, and heard the awe-filled, "WHOA."

And before she could react, the sparkling dropped and ducked beneath her. The panic inside her grew, to the point of nearly suffocating her. She called, not bothering to hide the fear in her voice, "Flashback!"

Grimlock either didn't see the sparkling or he didn't care as he continued to run. Sundance shot forward when she realized that he wasn't going to stop. Flashback froze half way there, apparently coming to the same conclusion. Sundance felt his fear through the bond. He reached for her, clenching her spark tightly for some kind of comfort. She knew that he was doing the same to their creators, because she felt a sudden, nearly overwhelming sense of rage come from her father. Her mother wasn't far behind, although she was more afraid than angry.

Sundance used her wings to propel her forward, cutting across the massive mech's path. She reached out, curling her claws carefully around Flashback and cupping him to her chest as she tried to roll. Grimlock snarled, more out of shock than anger. She felt the earth shift like he was trying to move back but his massive claws still caught around her armor, piercing through it like she was made of cheap tin. Her optics widened as he stumbled, falling.

She swallowed an agonized roar before it left her when her leg snapped beneath the weight of his body.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think.<strong>

**Much love.**

**Sundance, her family, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Sundance vented sharply out of pain, still crushed beneath Grimlock's massive frame. The mech himself was growling and snarling, clearly frustrated. He shifted, pressing harder into her shattered leg in his attempt to rise. This time she couldn't hold back her soft cry of pain. He froze, suddenly realizing that he wasn't the only one that had suffered from his stumble.

Sundance felt him turn, onlining her optics when he slid back, completely taking away any pressure on her damaged limb. For the first time she was grateful to him. He continued to shift until he got his feet underneath him and stood up. She laid back down in the sand, not even bothering with an attempt to rise. A quick scan told her that, along with her shattered leg, the armor of her side had been punctured and torn, energon lines damaged. All it took was one misplaced step, one little trip, and the slagging mech had taken her down.

Flashback was still pressed against her chest, her hand curled around him like a shield. He was struggling to get free, shouting her name. He managed to wiggle out between her claws, falling on his butt in the sand. He stared with wide optics at her, seeing her energon spilling down her body to pool in the sand. Sundance shuttered her optics again. Her mech creator was close-she could sense him barreling towards them.

Flashback whirled on Grimlock when the dinobot stepped closer, dropping his head to get a better look at her. He screamed, "Look what you did to her! Why! Why did you-"

Jolt dropped down in the sand beside them, reaching out and pulling Sundance towards him. Optimus was there next, followed closely by Ironhide who was cursing. Jolt ordered them back with a firm word, transforming a hand into a set of tools to seal the torn energon lines before she bled to death.

"Grimlock!" Ironhide snarled, "what the pit-"

"I did not see her," The dinobot answered, "or the sparkling."

"She's BIG," Flashback snapped, "and RED! How do you NOT see her-"

"Flashback!" Jolt called, never taking his optics from his work, "enough! Someone needs to carry her back to the med bay, I can't repair her leg here."

Before Optimus or Ironhide could move forward, Grimlock took a step closer and dipped his head, opening his powerful jaws. Sundance hissed when his teeth hooked around her armor, fearing for a moment that he would bite down and end her.

_No. Not with the others here..._She tried to reassure herself, _dad will be on his aft so fast his head will spin._

A very small smile pulled at her lip plates as he lifted her and started towards the building. Grimlock may be some bad ass mech, but very few things were worse than a wrathful creator.

* * *

><p>"What the pit happened!" Ratchet demanded, emerging from his quarters the moment Grimlock's towering form stepped inside his med bay.<p>

Although it was a shock to see the massive mech again, it wasn't the dinobot that worried him. It was what the mech carried in his jaws that had him up on his feet and rushing forward.

Grimlock dropped Sundance on the nearest berth before Ratchet ordered him out.

"Flashback ran in front of him-" his former student answered, storming into the room, "Grimlock didn't see him so Sundance tried to reach him. He tripped and fell on her."

Ratchet let loose a string of curses, scanning her injuries. He noticed that Sundance was unconscious, optics dim and jaws slack. He prodded at the still warm welds on her energon lines, just enough to make sure they were strong without busting them open. Satisfied by Jolt's work, he joined the younger at her leg.

Ratchet vented sharply, "Shattered. She's lucky it was just her leg-this isn't the first time he's tripped over someone and sent them to the med bay."

Jolt was removing armor, working quickly but carefully. Ratchet watched him for a moment, seeing all the anger in his tense stance. He knew the mech was on the verge of going on a rampage-Ratchet himself had heard him explode on Optimus when their leader broke the news to him. It was surprising, considering that Jolt was among the quieter mechs that usually stayed to himself. He'd never raised his voice to anyone before, forget shouting at a Prime.

"What usually happens when Grimlock 'trips'?" Jolt asked, his voice toneless.

Ratchet gathered Sundance's ruined armor and moved it to a different berth. He waited for a moment before answering, "The last one went into a stasis and never recovered."

Jolt growled, "He's too much of a danger to have on base."

"Many would agree with you," Ratchet stated. He lifted Sundance's leg, watching as it draped over his hand like a frame-less mess of cables and wires. No support. Broken in several different places...Again, he vented, "It's worse than I thought."

Jolt hesitated. For a moment, the dark anger left his optics, replaced by concern, "She won't ever completely recover, will she?"

"I'm not sure," Ratchet carefully poked and prodded at the limb, testing all the broken places. It was wonder how her leg hadn't just fallen off-there was hardly a frame left for it, and her joints were practically destroyed. Ratchet looked at Jolt, "There's no point in trying to save her leg. We'll have to construct a new one."

This time, it was Jolt who vented. He reached out and passed his palm over the side of Sundance's face, from nose to the tip of her horn. Despite her not being his true creation, she meant no less to the mech than his other sparklings. Jolt was still young, but Ratchet found his devotion to his family admirable. He had been the first of them to actually settle and even consider sparklings...one of the first ones to find real peace again.

Ratchet had never found a femme to bond and start a family with, so he would never understand. He didn't need to understand to see how much Jolt cared for Demona and their young.

"We'll need Ironhide's help with the armor," Jolt said, interrupting the older's thoughts, "I can reconstruct the frame myself."

"Have you told Demona?"

Jolt paused, "She knows."

Ratchet cut him a look, recognizing his tone. Demona knew alright, and if the strain in his voice was any indication, the femme was probably on a rampage back at their home. Although he had come to see her as a close friend, he couldn't help but cautiously ask, "She's not on her way here, is she?"

Jolt gave him an understanding look, "No. She won't leave Gears and the others unprotected, and she knows I'm here now."

Ratchet nodded.

They both turned their attention to Sundance when the femme shifted, tail sliding off the berth. Seconds alter, she onlined with a soft vent, red optics lighting and staring out blankly. They slid in Jolt's direction, focusing on him when he moved to stand on the other end of the berth, near her head. He rested a hand against her neck.

"I can't feel my legs."

It was the first thing she said. Ratchet was busy working on her leg, slowly detaching it. He grunted, "You don't want to, youngling."

She vented sharply, some of her old spunk flaring back to life, "Primus that mechs an aft."

A short bark of laughter left Ratchet while Jolt simply studied her. Sundance let a small grin pull at her mouth before slowly lifting her head. She was looking at Jolt, "How bad is it?"

"Not life threatening," he answered, "I managed to seal your main line before you offlined from energon loss, but we need to replace your leg. It's disfigured beyond repair."

She winced, "I'm grounded to the med bay, aren't I?"

"Yes," Ratchet answered in a tone that left no room for argument, "and you will leave my tools alone while you are in here."

The grin came back, although broader. Sundance laid her head down again. After a moment, she asked, "Is Optimus' head still attached to his shoulders?"

Jolt snorted, "For now."

Sundance kept grinning, shuttering her optics slowly. Jolt watched as she slipped into recharge, "I haven't seen her so exhausted in years."

"I'm surprised she woke up at all."

"She gets that from Demona."

Ratchet vented, "She better take after _you _and not end up in my med bay in pieces every time decepticons show up."

* * *

><p><strong>I have company over for the next few days, I'll try to keep up with updates. <strong>

**Sundance and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sundance twitched as little feet ran across her body. She tensed slightly, fighting the urge to just roll over and squash whatever it was that was bothering her while she was trying to recharge. She'd been flying for three days, slaggit! She'd had to deal with Grimlock being an aft and Swoop being an annoying flirt. Not to mention that she was weak from the energon she'd lost when the big mech stumbled over her.

She shifted her wings as a second set landed on her neck. She felt the weight shift as the little one leaned down to look at her face. Sundance lit an optic, finding herself staring into bright, curious little blue optics.

Warhammer jumped when he suddenly found himself staring at Sundance's burning red optics. He nearly fell off, but Solaris was right beside him, standing on the berth. His friend pushed him back up with a hissed, "I told you to leave her alone!"

"Ah, who cares!" Flashback called from his perch on Sundance's exposed side, "she can get over it!"

Sundance didn't say anything, only watched as Warhammer lifted a finger and pointed at her, "She's online."

All three sparklings froze when she chose that moment to let a dark, rumbling growl roll deep in her chest. In an instant, both of the little mechs were off her body and circled around her face. Flashback gave her a big, innocent smile, "Hi, sissy!"

Sundance vented softly, "What are you three up to?"

"Sorry to bother you," Solaris quickly said, "we'll leave you alone if-"

"Tell us a story," Flashback cut in.

Sundance stared blankly at him. _Primus. Now, of all times? _Again, she vented, "Flash, I'm _really _tired."

He snorted, "And I'm _really _bored."

She struggled for some kind of answer to her problem. The three youngsters stayed clustered around her, staring without blinking like they were waiting for something. Finally, she said, "Go find Jetfire, he's got tons of stories you haven't heard yet."

All three tensed up. It was Warhammer that almost whined, "That crazy old bot? He scares the pit out of me."

"Yeah, he's slaggin' insane!" Flashback snapped, "freakin' psychotic old man..."

Sundance blinked, "What...He is _not_!"

"Yes he is!"

Sundance narrowed her optics at him, "Jetfire is my best friend, Flash."

He gave her a look, "You have friends?"

"Ha, ha," She grumbled, pushing herself up slowly. She fixed her optics on the three, tone turning serious, "why are you afraid of him?"

Solaris shrugged, "He's just...scary. His optics..."

"Are no different than mine," Sundance said softly, lowering her head. She nudged the red sparkling carefully with her nose. His optics widened, surprised at the sudden touch, but he reached out and spread his fingers over her snout carefully like he was touching some sacred object. She added, "Jetfire fought Galvatron, too. He nearly gave his life in that battle. I trust him with my whole spark."

"Can we please talk about something else?" Warhammer pushed cautiously, "that mech gives me the creeps."

_I can't believe this, _Sundance huffed mentally. She pulled back, rolling carefully to lay on her belly. Cold shock squeezed her spark when she glanced back and saw that her entire leg was missing. A brief moment of panic seized her until she remembered what had happened. She cast a quick look over the med bay.

Her father was gone, but a small pull on her spark let her know exactly where he was, and that was with Ironhide discussing the build of her new leg. Ratchet was locked away in his quarters, getting some much needed recharge.

"You gonna tell us a story, or not?" Flashback poked at her chest, "Hey, I'm talking to you."

Sundance vented, pausing to think of a story. She had none of her own yet, none worth telling, anyway. So every story she'd told them was based off of human beliefs and histories. She tried to come up with one that she hadn't told in a while. She crossed her arms in front of her. Flashback immediately invited himself to sit there, back leaning against her chest.

Sundance hummed softly as Flashback motioned for the other two to join him. Warhammer cautiously made his way over, while Solaris just stared. Flashback snorted, "Come on, Solar, she's not gonna bite!"

Solaris glanced up at Sundance like he was looking for her permission, but she was looking away. He started forward, squeezing in on the other side of Flashback. It was a close fit, but comfortable, and all three settled. Flashback smacked his palm on Sundance's chest, "'Dance! They haven't heard the one about that monster and the wolf guy-"

"Beowulf," Sundance said, "the hero of the Geats."

"Yeah, that one," Flashback grinned at Warhammer, "you're gonna love this, War."

Sundance tilted her head, eying them, "Just one, then you leave me alone and let me rest."

"Yeah, yeah. Just tell the story!"

Sundance vented sharply. She moved, curling her thick red claws, "When Hrothgar became king of the Danes, he built a great mead hall for his people, the greatest of it's time. He named it Herot, and every night the king and the queen and their greatest soldiers would gather there and celebrate with song, dance, and drink. The sound of their laughter would carry on, far into the night, where it was heard by the monster Grendel-"

Sundance paused when the door to Ratchet's quarters slid open with a hiss. The medic almost stormed out, "Primus, youngling! _Why _are you not recharging?"

Before she could answer, his optics fell on the sparklings. He vented sharply and the three scattered like chickens, gone so fast neither of them could react.

Sundance sent him a grateful look, "Next time I want to clear the room, I'll call for you."

He snorted, walking over to check her injuries, "You should be resting."

"I was," Sundance slowly laid her head down. Already, she could feel her systems slowing down in preparation for recharge. Ratchet stopped moving, watching her as her optics dimmed. Sundance hummed softly for a moment more before she faded.

* * *

><p><strong>Kinda short, boring chapter...oops. Next one will probably be better. <strong>

**Sundance, her family, the sparklings, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Bry, why the fuck am I here?" Brandon demanded, cold eyes narrowed as they stared at the pack of kids running like wild animals through the park, jumping around and screaming. _God, I hate kids. _

He stood under the shade of a tree, clenching the cell phone at his ear. He added almost harshly, "I know you're my brother and all, but I'm tired of being your damn dog-"

_"I need you to find someone for me," _Bry interrupted, voice annoyingly calm, _"now, he's going to stand out, he's big. And he can be dangerous, so watch your ass."_

"That's a big ol' butt load of info you're giving me," Brandon scoffed, "who the hell is this guy? And where am I supposed to find him?"

_"You're exactly where you're supposed to be."_

"If this is more of your alien-robot shit, I don't want any part-"

Again, Bry interrupted him, _"I've got a job for you, Brandon."_

Brandon paused. He watched as a father threw a football to his son, laughing between instructions, teaching him the art of a loved sport. His sharp eyes narrowed, anger clenching his heart at the sight. Slowly, he answered his brother, "You know I'm not into your E.T. crap, Bry. I refuse to believe in that junk."

_"I want you to take him out."_

Brandon hesitated. He turned away from all the happy little brats around him and their equally happy parents. He faced the wooden fence, "A job."

_"I want you to put a bullet between his eyes."_

"Now you're speaking my language."

The man on the other end chuckled, _"I thought you'd like it. I came to you for this because you're the best at it."_

"Tell me when and where."

_"Not so fast, brother. There's something else."_

Brandon cursed, "Geez, Bry, what else could you throw at me?"

_"He's got a daughter. I want you to take her ALIVE, Brandon."_

"Damn, it must be Christmas! I get to gank someone _and _nab me a little fun."

_"Slow down. I need you to hold on to her until I can get down there-I want her in ONE piece."_

"Fine. What am I looking for and when?"

_"You'll know when you see him. Like I said, he's a big guy. And you're there-he takes his daughter to the park every Friday. Follow him...you know what to do."_

Brandon chuckled darkly, "I'm an artist, brother. This is my trade."

_"Exactly why I came to you."_

"I've just got one question."

_"Yeah?"_

"You've been at this shit for three years. Why are you all the sudden getting serious about it? Why are you choosing now to make a move like this?"

There was a long pause, like Bry was trying to think of something to say. Brandon was about to hang up when the other almost whispered, _"They're fucking violent monsters, Brandon. You haven't seen what I have, you don't know what they're capable of. One jumped us in the damn desert and nearly killed us, destroyed our truck, nearly ate me alive. I'm tired of playing nice. It's time we showed them just what's at stake."_

"And killing some _human _is going to do that for you, huh?"

_"You're the artist, Brandon. I've given you a canvas-paint them a clear message."_

Bry hung up. Brandon blinked, pulling the phone away from his face to stare at it. His eyes narrowed, "You're so fucking weird."

He snapped it shut before turning back around to stare at the people frolicking around in the park. Brandon searched for anyone that 'stood out', cursing his younger brother for dropping this one on him with hardly any information. _What the hell am I supposed to be looking for? There's a ton of big guys in this area. Dumb moron. Geez._

"Who the hell are you?" He wondered quietly, watching as they came and went. He stood there for what felt like hours, leaning against the tree. He was ready to throw in the towel and go home when a big red truck rumbled into the parking lot. He didn't know what kind it was, and he didn't give a damn. His eyes stayed focused on it, narrowing when a big man stepped down. He shut the door with a big smile on his face, stepping to the back door to pull it open. He reached inside and out came a little, giggling girl with wild curly hair. _How precious._

Her little hands instantly wrapped around his, tugging him towards the swings. Brandon turned his attention to the man. Bry was right, this guy was huge. And not fat-huge. He was built like a damn NFL player, with a solid body and thick arms. The kind of guy that could flatten him with one punch.

The thing was, he looked like he couldn't hurt a fly, with the way how he treated the little runt. Brandon watched as he lifted the tiny girl carefully with both hands like she was the most delicate thing in the world. He set her down on the swing and pushed her gently, the image of the perfect father.

"Oh, Bry," Brandon whispered, grinning, "you're spoiling me, little brother."

He laughed quietly to himself, thinking of all the things he'd do to this cute little pair. Bry was right. Tearing families apart, scarring children by murdering their parents right in front of their eyes...it was all something Brandon loved to do. It was sport. And although he'd die before he ever believed in that alien shit Bry was so set on, he wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him up. It'd been a long time since he'd been able to have a little fun.

Brandon shoved a hand in his pocket and made his way over with silent footsteps. By then, the little girl had ditched her dad to go play with some other kids around the slide. Brandon found him sitting comfortably on a bench.

"Hey there," Brandon greeted in a friendly tone with a nice smile. The stranger looked up at him and smiled back.

He said, "Good afternoon."

"Do you mind if I join ya?"

The larger shook his head, "Go ahead."

_Dumbass don't know he's shaking hands with death right now, _Brandon thought. He sat down and leaned back, letting quiet settle between them before the little girl ran back to them, laughing. Her soft ringlets bounced around her, wild like a lion's mane. She jumped up into the mans lap long enough to hug him and say, "I love you, daddy!" Then she was back to playing tag with the other brats.

"She's beautiful," Brandon said.

"Thank you. Do you have any kids?"

"Nah," Brandon answered, pushing a hand through his short hair, "never found a woman I was willing to settle with. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you did?"

"Yeah," he grinned at Brandon, "don't give up hope. There's someone out there for everyone."

_Ah, a nice guy..._Brandon offered his hand, "I'm Don."

The guy shook his hand, "Alec, but everyone calls me Pockets."

* * *

><p><strong>Remember Bry from chapter 1? I didn't forget about him. Looks like he's back, and he's got a twisted brother. <strong>

**We'll see what hapens next chapter. **

**On a much happier note, Pockets has a little girl! Yay! (Dances)**

**Bry, Brandon, Pockets and his family and the story belongs to me. TRansformers does not.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Sundance winced, turning to her side when the hole in her armor, where a leg _should _have been, started to throb. Her claws accidentally sliced into the berth, tearing neat, thin lines into it. _Oops. _She she stretched out one of her wings as far as she possibly could, the very tips of her feathers touching the wall of the med bay. Her cables were beginning to grow sore from being cramped up for so long. She'd been stuck in here for a few days, unable to leave because constructing a limb from scratch took a while.

She had Grimlock to thank for that.

She pulled in her wing after a satisfying 'crack' reached her and relief flooded through her feathers. Sundance shifted her weight and stretched out the other, processor turning to the dinobots.

She honestly didn't know what to think of them. Grimlock was an arrogant aft, but in a way, he almost seemed clueless. After all, he hadn't even noticed Flashback when he ran up to greet him, and he didn't seem to notice her either until it was too late. And then the mech had picked her up and carried her to the med bay. Which was...unexpected. Then he had literally dropped her on the berth and left.

Swoop was an arrogant flirt. Although he was friendlier, he still had an ego that was bigger than Optimus. The entire flight back to base he had been pulling complicated aerials and stunts, trying his fragging hardest to get her attention. When he decided to stop showing off, he hovered close to her, _too _close. And it bothered her. She knew that if Ratchet hadn't started locking the med bay down after the fiasco with the sparklings, the little shit would be in here bothering her every chance he had.

Remembering the sparklings, Sundance vented heavily. She couldn't believe that all three of them, even her own brother, were afraid of Jetfire. Yes, the mech was...unique. He was old and he had an attitude, and he _knew _how to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies with that cane of his, but she loved him. She loved his stories, the way how he would push himself up and stretch up as far as he could, opening his arms wide as he described the great battles of the past. The way how his optics would fill with an impossibly deep wisdom and an old sadness as he described Cybertron. The way how he spoke, he brought every bot, every battle, back to life again.

Her best friend.

Sundance pulled her wing in and settled down, curling her neck around her body to tuck her nose against her side. Primus, she missed him. _Why hasn't he come to see me yet?_

She tilted her head and focused on her father when he stepped into the med bay with the bare frame of her new leg in his hands. She tugged at his spark immediately, wrapping him up in her love. His optics softened with a smile, "How are you, sweetspark?"

She smiled back. She was growing into her third frame, already considered an adult warrior among the autobot ranks, and he still called her that. It bothered Flashback when mom called him that, but Sundance knew they'd never stop. She answered, "Sore. Unbalanced...tired."

He walked over to her, offering her the new leg which she held carefully. She eyed the skeletal like craft, testing the joints as she turned the hand and folded the claws. Everything moved smoothly. Jolt reached down and brushed a hand over her horns, "Then you should be recharging."

"I can't stop thinking," Sundance said with a small yawn.

"About?" He moved around to her injured side, checking her healing injuries.

"Things," Sundance said. She shifted so that she was leaning to one side, completely exposing the gap in her armor when he motioned for her to. She clenched her teeth to bite down a growl when he started to test the injury. She added, knowing he was waiting for an explanation, "dad, why do you think Optimus sent me to meet Grimlock instead of just going himself, or sending Wheeljack?"

Jolt paused. When he didn't answer right away, she pushed herself up with one arm and twisted to look at him. She caught the flash of worry before it was covered up. He lifted her leg from her claws and transformed a hand into a set of tools, turning off her pain sensors so she wouldn't feel it when he began to reattach things.

"Dad?"

"I don't know, Sundance."

She huffed quietly, "You're supposed to know these things." It was said in a joking way, but she still felt a pinch somewhere on her side. She shot him a look to see him innocently working away.

"You don't think he's going to assign me to the dinobots, do you?"

He paused.

Sundance turned her optics elsewhere, "Primus, I hope he doesn't."

"The dinobots were created as a team, Sundance," Jolt said slowly after a moment, "one of Wheeljack's successful experiments. He wanted to create warriors that could hold their own against Megatron, a sort of secret weapon...they work well as a team, I don't see why he'd want to add anyone else to it."

She turned his words over in her processor as quiet fell between them. She was fading back into recharge when she felt the sharp sting of her pain sensors being rebooted. Her father started, "Everything fits-" she tensed to push herself up but his hand dropped on her back between her shoulders and eased her back down, "-_but, _work still needs to be done. So you're still grounded to the med bay."

She felt him grin through their creator-creation bond when she let her head hit the berth with a 'CLANG'.

* * *

><p>"What'cha thinkin' about, Grim?" Swoop asked from his perch on the massive mech's broad back.<p>

Grimlock grumbled, walking in slow, long strides. He was still in his alternate form, leaving prehistoric foot prints across the earth as he walked. Swoop grinned, leaning down. He was in his alternate, too, and he wasn't about to change back. It'd been too long since he'd had a good pair of wings, so he was enjoying them now that he had them. He knew that he was bothering the frag out of his leader, but he didn't really care. Usually he would use Slag as his perch just to piss him off, but Slag wasn't here. He needed to stay entertained some way, and the only way to do that was pester the boss.

Grimlock shook, the great plates of his armor sliding back and forth over his body like loose skin, in an attempt to knock Swoop off. The smaller locked his talons down and held on, laughing, "I don't know _what _you're thinkin' about, but I know _who_!"

"I did not see her," Grimlock growled, continuing, "this wasn't my doing."

"It doesn't matter. You still stepped on her," Swoop hopped up his back until he was standing between his shoulders, and settled with a twitch of his wings.

The mechanical t-rex stopped, splayed toes sinking into the soft yellow sand. He swung his massive head around, eying their surroundings, "Not my fault."

"Well, if you're so sure it's not your fault, why don't you stop trying to convince yourself?"

He felt the low rumble deep in the mech's chest through his armor. Swoop twisted around and stared down at Grimlock, confused and curious. "You can't get her out of your processor, can you?"

The rumble intensified, turning into a growl when Grimlock's lips lifted to show a row of lethal teeth that could penetrate solid stone with one little nip. Swoop cocked his head to the side, observing the mech's reaction.

Grimlock remained for a moment longer before starting off again, the sand muffling the thunder of his foot steps. He stopped again when Swoop suddenly sang, "You _liiiiike_ her!" When the larger made no move to defend himself, Swoop literally fell to the ground laughing, rolling down Grimlock's side to hit the sand in hysterical laughter.

Grimlock shifted back a step so he could see him better, tilting his head and narrowing his optics, "What?"

"Because she's beautiful and fearless, and lets not forget that she's a _femme_," Swoop rolled to his feet with a sly grin, "poor Grim, you have no idea."

Grimlock snarled, baring his teeth again. He lowered his head so that he was optic-to-optic with Swoop, "Explain."

Swoop continued grinning, leaning forward, "Let's see who can win her spark first." With that, he shot up into the air just as Grimlock's open jaws fell towards him, missing the bite by inches.

* * *

><p><strong>WOW, sorry for a late update. I've got reviews to catch up on, but I've actually got time tonight to do that. <strong>

**Kind of a crappy chapter, but I'll make up for it in the next one. Hope you guys enjoyed it.**

**Sundance and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"She looks like she's offline," a voice wondered above her. Sundance forced down the urge to turn away, finding the voice and even the very presence of the mech annoying. She felt a finger prod at her armored back, "acts offline."

She snarled in her thoughts when the same mech leaned over her, so close that she could feel the heat of his body, and _sniffed. _"Smells offline."

_Primus...Go AWAY._

For the first time since she'd been 'grounded' to the med bay, Sundance was having a nice, long, deep recharge with lovely dreams of flying high in the sky, completely untouchable. The clouds was her realm, where she belonged, and she always felt complete when she was soaring. After being unable to rest for a few nights, her mom and dad had both worked at easing her spark into a state of peace, her processor following soon after. They kept sending her waves of calm, trying to pull her back into recharge. She let them...

Fingers landed on her back, dragging over thick plates of rose red. Her spark tensed in alarm. When he spoke again, his tone was soft, "I've never seen a femme with wings like this before..."

She felt him move to one of her feathered limbs, hand hovering mere inches above. Before he could make contact she warned, voice loud and clear, "Don't touch."

The mech above her jumped and pulled back almost sharply, "Hi, femme! You're alive!"

Sundance uncoiled with a low growl, lifting her lip plates to show some fang. She swung her head around slowly, meeting the cheerful optics of Swoop. He was grinning like a fool and standing way too close.

Behind him, Grimlock stood at the door. They were both in their natural forms, so the larger of the two was almost crammed in the door way, having to stoop with his shoulders pulled in. His position didn't seem to bother him. His hidden optics were fixed on her.

"Primus, what the pit are you doing here?" Sundance asked, "the med bay was locked!"

Swoop shrugged, "We unlocked it."

_Either these idiots haven't seen Ratchet pitch a wrench or they just don't care..._Sundance narrowed her optics at them, "What do you want?"

"We just wanted to check on ya," Swoop answered, moving closer, "make sure you weren't in permanent stasis or anything like the last bot Grim stepped on."

Sundance shifted to take more weight off the bare, skeletal frame of her new leg. It was useless now, without cables or wiring to attach to her body and systems. Her dad and Ratchet were supposed to finish rebuilding it today.

The movement drew the mechs' optics. Grimlock shouldered his way through the doorway, the frame groaning in protest, and eyed her form. He growled, "Next time, don't get in my way."

_Bastard!_ Sundance bared her black teeth in response, "You nearly killed my brother!"

Swoop leaned back with a raised optic ridge, "That loud little runt is your _brother_?"

"He shouldn't have been in my way, either."

Her claws stretched and clenched, tearing new gouges in the berth that Ratchet would scold her over when he saw them. Anger flared in her spark, the instinct to defend her brother wrapping tight around her. Swoop looked at her optics and actually took a step back. But Sundance wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Her gaze was fixed on Grimlock, who stared back.

A hundred insults came together in her processor. In those long minutes they spent just glaring back at one another, she came up with about twenty things she could say, each one sharp and packed with warning. But in the end, all she said was, "Get out."

Apparently, neither of them were expecting that. She couldn't see his face, but she could sense Grimlock's shock. When neither of them moved, she forced herself up and spun in a flash of gleaming red, spreading her jaws wide as a stream of flames came rushing out. It wasn't nearly as powerful as the fire she used in battle, it licked harmlessly across the mech's armor, but he still slid back quickly out of instinct in an attempt to avoid it.

Swoop scattered and ran out, grabbing Grimlock's arm and managing to yank him back out, too, "Alright, femme! We'll be back to see ya again tomorrow!"

Sundance snapped her jaws shut and snorted, black smoke slipping out between her teeth. It was then that she realized she had _stood up_, automatically putting weight on a leg that couldn't support her. Before she could shift her balance, she went crashing to the floor. "CRAP!"

Venting sharply, Sundance stayed where she was, piled on her bad side. _I hate this. _

"I see you and Grimlock are getting along well," a baritone voice echoed above her. Sundance blinked, lifting her head to look at Optimus. She rolled her optics at the amusement clearly stamped across his face plates.

She dropped her head back to the ground, "Slaggers won't leave me alone."

He chuckled, stepping inside. She let him ease his hands under her body and lift her. Her tail slid up to drape over his arm so it wasn't dragging-she hated it when her tail was touching the ground, and carefully wrapped her claws around his arms to hold on. He walked further into the med bay, eying the torn berth she had been originally resting on, and decided to set her on another.

"Thank you," Sundance said, curling slightly on the berth. She yawned, "where's Ratchet?"

"With Jetfire."

She perked up, "Jetfires back?"

"Yes," he paused, tilting his head, "you didn't know?"

"I haven't seen him," Sundance answered with a shake of her head, "I was going to go see him when we came back to base, but...well, you know. Slagging clumsy ass dinosaur."

"Sundance," He straightened, the amusement fading from his face, "I need you to tell me about the Hunters that have been attacking your home."

_…Okay. _Sundance blinked, _I was not expecting that. _She pushed herself up so that she was sitting up, "There's a team of them, they're always armed and always looking to cause trouble...they never try the same thing twice."

"Did you recognize any of the humans you saved the sparklings from?"

Sundance hummed quietly, tilting her head down as she sank deep into her thoughts. She tapped her claws on the berth lightly. Optimus waited, ever patient. _The truck was similar. The weapons were similar...but who..._

"One," Sundance finally answered, a flash of cold eyes filling her processor, "the one with ice-eyes. I recognize him from the cameras dad and uncle Pockets set up around our territory." She turned her head back up to look at him, "I think he leads them."

"Do you know his name?"

She shook her head, "They were all screaming for their lives when I stepped in." She paused to grin wickedly, "more than one of them wet themselves. Dad could show you what he looks like, though. He keeps a copy on all the information we have on them in his subspace at all times."

Optimus nodded, "Thank you, Sundance."

She nodded back, "Of course."

He dropped a hand to brush over her horns, his optics softening, "I know they're...difficult, but I believe you're making an impression on the dinobots. Grimlock looked rather concerned on his way out."

"Oh, believe me," Sundance growled, "I'll leave more than an impression on their hides when I get out of this med bay."

He chuckled, "You get some rest, youngling."

She poked him in the arm with her nose, watching as he turned.

He was just about to step outside when a question hit her, slipping out before she could really process it, "Why are the humans attacking us, Optimus?"

He hesitated.

"What have we done wrong? We've saved their lives, their _planet_, more than once, and they still hunt us. I don't even know why anymore. At first it was for our weapons. Now it feels like it's more out of hatred than anything."

Optimus vented tiredly, raising a hand to press to his optics. Sundance slowly laid back down, never looking away from him. After a time, he answered, "We will never be able to fully understand the humans, Sundance. They are a young, violent race, like we once were. In many ways, we are the same. There is good and there is bad on Earth, just as there was on Cybertron." His optics brightened slightly, as if he was remembering something, "'The darkness can never be without light', and the light can never be without darkness."

"Maybe," Sundance laid her head down, turning away from him. Her optics narrowed and her voice softened to a whisper, "sometimes it feels like the skies are always dark."

She felt his gaze on her for a moment more before he left her to rest.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Updates on time!<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed it. May or may not have another up today. **

**Sundance and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"God, I love my job," Brandon grinned broadly, seated comfortably in his piece-of-crap black Camaro, cold eyes fixed on the big red truck across the parking lot. _Bry did his homework. He really does drag that little runt to the park every Friday. _

It had been a full week since he'd met 'Pockets'-_Who the hell gave him that stupid ass nickname, anyway?-_and Brandon had returned around the same time today, although he didn't bother with climbing out of his car and unsuccessfully mingling with the other runts that ran through the park like wild animals. He had packed small piece of his arsenal to bring with him, in the standard black duffel that was stashed in the floor boards behind the passenger seat. The bag was unzipped, his weapon of choice resting on top.

Like before, the front door of the monstrous truck opened and Pockets stepped-because he was so tall the height of the truck meant _nothing-_out and walked around to the back door. He opened it and the little girl spilled out into his arms, laughing and smiling like crazy. Her ridiculously fluffy, curly hair shined like strands of gold under the sun, and her big green eyes were clear. Brandon had realized that the eyes came from 'Pockets'. That crazy ass hair must have come from the bitch he was married to.

"'There's someone out there for everyone'," Brandon hissed, "'don't give up hope' my ass!"

Brandon watched as she scrambled up his leg until he reached down and lifted her to his shoulders with one arm. He walked to the swings first, helping her down when she started reaching and grabbing for it. Brandon watched, and he waited.

He waited in complete silence, staring out tinted windows without blinking. He sat completely still.

_This _was what he was good at.

Bry was a crazy 'theres-something-out-there' foil-helmet alien geek, but Brandon was a predator. He watched and stalked his prey until it was the right moment to strike. It had been years since he'd taken someone out, and he'd never been caught. He was a master at his trade.

Brandon was so focused on studying the two that the sound of a snarling engine made him jump in his seat. He swung around with squinted eyes, gaze falling upon the white form of a Dodge Viper, gleaming dangerously in the sun. The car was sleek and dangerous, with lethal curves. He found himself gawking at it as it rolled past slowly, unable to resist the dark beauty of the vehicle.

Which said a lot about the Viper, considering he really didn't care about a car as long as it had four good wheels and a working engine.

"Damn," Brandon muttered, eyes following it as it eased on through the parking lot than back onto the road. He blinked slowly, "Now _that's _a car!"

Remembering his target, he swung back around to the window, searching for them. When he found them, he cursed and scrambled to put his seat belt on. Pockets was just now getting back into his truck, the face of his daughter pressed to the window to watch some kid play fetch with his dog.

Brandon watched as he rolled out of the parking lot. He put his car in drive and followed, eyes never leaving the big ass truck.

* * *

><p>Brandon was waiting when that big ass red truck came rumbling down the road.<p>

After following them around town for a while, he'd found a place a ways between there and, from the information Bry had given him, his home. It was dark now, and all he could see was the blaring headlights of the big red dodge.

He lifted his firearm out of the passenger seat, whistling softly to himself. He took aim, waited...

The shot ripped through the air, the shell rushing out the open window to shatter the drivers window on the truck. The entire hulking frame of the four-door squealed painfully loud, swinging around sharply and sending up a spray of gravel and dust.

Brandon took aim again, grinning when he heard the little girl start screaming.

Pockets was still moving, pushing himself back up with one massive hand clenching at his shoulder. _He's tougher than I thought. _

His eyes widened when the roar of a powerful engine reached them. Before he could react, the sleek white Dodge Viper slammed into the side of his crappy black car, nearly sending it on it's side. Brandon hit the dash since he'd taken off his seat belt a long time ago, snarling when he felt the skin on his forehead peel open.

"FUCK!" He shouted, swinging his gun around and taking aim at the driver. His eyes focused on him, and he blinked.

It was a girl.

A fucking seventeen year-old girl, with long, straight blonde hair and fierce, almost silver eyes. She was tall and skinny, wearing old ratty clothes and a glare that made his heart freeze in his chest. As he gawked at her, a slow, wicked grin spread across her face. For the first time in his life, Brandon shuddered.

Across the street, Pockets threw open the door and stumbled out, shouting, "Ash! What the _hell!"_

Brandon snapped out of it and raised his gun again, aiming it right between her eyes. He had to give the girl credit-she didn't even flinch. He shouted, never taking his eyes from her, "You won't come any closer if you want this pretty girl alive, Alec!"

He heard the man's footsteps stop. "...Don?"

Brandon grinned, once again in control. The girl, apparently named Ash, continued to grin back. Her windows were rolled down so he could hear her when she called, her voice chilling, "I would turn tail and get the hell out of here I was you."

He snarled, "You're in no position to be making threats, brat!"

A second engine raced towards them, filling the tense air around them with an enraged roar. Brandon ignored it, focused solely on his targets.

"No, but _she_ is."

Again, he blinked.

A cold hand gripped his spine as wheels left pavement ahead of them, followed by a sound he'd never heard before. Slowly, he turned, fear seizing him before he even saw what it was.

His eyes widened, falling upon a rose red Charger, fierce and deadly. But the car was changing-shattering like glass before his eyes and rising up, rearranging as arms appeared, then legs...he dropped the gun as the damn thing _stood up, _massive, long toe-claws plunging into the street, cracks spider-webbing around them. It stared down with glowing red eyes that burned like pools of lava. It dropped down in one fluid motion, hand reaching for him.

And all Brandon could do was scream.

He screamed like he'd never screamed before, as hard and loud as he could, until his throat almost burst. He struggled with the door handle, not having the sense to unlock it first, then grabbed for his keys. He managed to cram them in the ignition and put the car into drive before the beast could catch him.

He peeled down the road so fast he was light-headed, crying hysterically as his brain tried to wrap around what he'd just seen.

* * *

><p><strong>There's our girl...comin' to their rescue, as usual. <strong>

**Had you fooled about the Viper bit, huh? No, it's not Paradox...but it does raise the question...who is this 'Ash' girl?**

**Also, I'm thinking of starting a new story altogether that is separate from the triology and the continuations of the triology with all new characters and plot. I'll probably start it and try to post a chapter for it and The Storyteller every day or switch between the two. I'll keep you updated on it's progress. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. :)**

**Demona and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Be careful, youngling," Ratchet warned, hovering nearby as Sundance pushed herself up. Jolt was even closer, hands raised over her in case something went wrong and her newly restored leg gave out on her. Sundance cut them a look.

For the past three hours they'd both been on her aft, instructing her to do a number of exercises with her leg to make sure it was fully attached and fully functioning. While she more than appreciated their concern for her well being, she'd been trapped in this damn med bay for little over a week, and in that week, she'd been ninja-attacked by sparklings, annoyed by arrogant and _moronic _dinobots, and blackmailed into telling stories to those mentioned sparklings. And that was not counting the first time they'd come in to bother her.

She wanted out.

Sundance set all four feet on the ground, pausing for a minute to run a systems check. Everything was working as far she could tell, as if she hadn't been missing a limb for a week. She turned her head to eye her new leg. She was missing half her armor on that side of her body, so her protoform was revealed. Instead of rose read, gleaming silver made up her frame, with black and tubes and cables. Yellow, red, and black wiring. It was all intertwined and weaved almost elegantly from her body and into the new limb-it was damn near perfect. If she didn't know better, she would have thought the accident never happened. But then there was the subtle difference in the color of the alloys, those on her body being duller since they were older.

She flexed her toes slowly before she straightened and, before either mech could react, dropped to the floor. She couldn't hide her grin when she heard Ratchet vent sharply. Sundance walked in circles around the berth, both medics stepping back to give her room. After a few laps, she stopped in front of her dad and sat down, tilting her head up to him, "Everything works."

He gave her a look, "You just want out of here."

_Hell yeah I do! _She kept the thought to herself, smiling up at him innocently instead.

"Not so fast," Ratchet cut in, "Ironhide's taking his time repairing your armor."

Sundance vented, "Primus."

He raised an optic ridge but said nothing else. She leaped back up to the berth when he motioned for her to and settled down. Jolt carefully took hold of her new foot, spreading her sharp blade-like toes carefully, like he was making sure they wouldn't fall off or something, "Nothing feels off?"

"No," She yawned, "your hands are really cold, dad."

He released her, "Did you run a systems check?"

"It's like I never lost it in the first place," She answered with a nod, "every-things fine, really."

"Well guess what," Jolt started, waiting until he had her attention, hopeful red optics locked on his. He was quiet for a few minutes before dead-panning, "you're still grounded."

She vented sharply, optics narrowing, "Why."

He was about to explain when Sundance felt a sense of rage through one of her bonds, and from the way her father went rigid, he felt it, too. She stood back up, swinging her body around towards the door way, optics narrowing as she reached through her bond with her mother in an attempt to calm her down. She was on the point of blackening rage, but it was snuffed out in an instant, replaced by fear and concern.

Sundance's optics widened, when Demona abruptly reached back. She knew that the older femme was speaking to both of them, _'Ash is bringing Alec in, some slagger just shot him.'_

Sundance turned back to Jolt, who was now making his way out of the med bay. Sundance called, "Wait! I can get to them faster!"

"What the pit is going on?" Ratchet started, "Jolt!"

"Someone tried to kill uncle Pockets!" Sundance explained, glancing back at him, "They're bringing him here, he was shot!"

The older medic let loose a string of violent curses as he headed out. He paused at the doorway to point a finger at her, "Stay _here_, youngling."

Sundance snarled when he left, optics narrowing. She cast one quick look around the med bay before snorting and jumping down anyway. She twisted her body almost painfully to cut into the hall way and took off, not giving a damn if all the mechs on base saw her running wild through the base half exposed.

A few that knew her, Jazz and even Wheeljack, called after her in confusion, but she kept going. Her spark was burning, clenching in her chest. She needed to be there-she needed to protect her family.

"Hey! 'Dance! You got your leg back!" Flashback called cheerfully. When she didn't slow down, he snapped, "what the frag-"

"Stop cursing!" Sundance growled as she shot past. Behind her, he muttered something under his breath.

She knew that her dad was already transformed and well on his way. Ratchet probably wasn't far behind. But she could get there before both of them-what if her uncle was in a critical state? What if he was bleeding out into the dirt, on the verge of dying? She could get there before them...she could get him back quicker.

She almost made it to the damn door, too, if a big ass foot didn't stomp down right in her way. A sharp hiss left her throat as she slid to a stop, spreading her wings slightly to catch the air. She slammed back, sinking her claws into the floor to keep from ramming face-first into Grimlock's pillar-like legs. She tilted her head back to glare at him, meeting his pale optics. She ground out, "Move!"

He snorted, "You're not going anywhere, femme. Ratchet's orders."

"Since when did _you _take orders from anyone besides Optimus!"

"He knows whats best for you in your _weakened _state."

"I will light your ass on fire if you don't get the _hell _out of my way."

A deep rumble rolled through his chest, one she felt through her claws on the floor. His lip plates pulled back to show his lethal, crushing teeth in a grin. She bared every black tooth of her own, taking a brave step closer until they were nose-to-nose, "My family is in danger, Grimlock. If you don't move, then I will take you down."

His optics raked down her form, noting all of her exposed insides, like a predator picking out the weakest prey. He snorted in her face, "You can do nothing, femme."

_No time for this, no time, no time..._Sundance shifted to lung forward when the familiar pitter-patter of tiny sparkling feet echoed in the hall.

"Hey, 'Dance! Whys mom so mad?" Flashback called, running up to her.

Sundance froze, fear seizing her spark. On instinct, she swung her body side ways, armored side out while she put herself between him and her brother. She felt Flashback freeze when he saw Grimlock. His small hands gripped the armor on her arm, and he stepped closer. She watched Grimlock carefully.

The grin had left his face, replaced by a curious look, or about as curious as Grimlock could get. He leaned down, inhaling their scents slowly. Sundance pulled back a step, lowering her front half to the body and showing her teeth in a snarl. He was unaffected.

After a moment, the massive mech spoke, "This is your brother."

"Yeah! The one you almost stepped on!" Flashback snapped. Sundance pushed him back, pulling at his spark through their bond.

_'Hush, Flash!'_

She felt him glare at her, but ignored it. When Grimlock moved closer, trying to get a better look at the sparkling, Sundance struck.

Her body coiled in an S-curve like a snake, head snapping forward in a blur of red. Her sharp black teeth sliced into the armor on his nose, sinking deep before she let go and pulled back, all in one motion that stunned both males into shocked silence. Grimlock just stared, face comically blank. Flashback's jaw just about hit the floor.

"Don't touch him," Sundance warned low in her throat.

To her relief, the massive mech shifted back. He rumbled quietly, "I would not hurt him on purpose."

Sundance stared, processor stuttering at the submissive posture and soft tone. _What the pit...this isn't-_

Seeing that she wasn't on alert anymore, he moved back forward quickly and ducked his head, carefully hooking his teeth around her frame and lifting her.

Sundance snapped back to reality in an instant with a wrathful roar that shook the very walls of the base. She struggled, but not too much in fear of cutting her exposed insides on his teeth, and started off shouting and snarling at him.

Grimlock happily trotted down the halls, toting her along. Those long, powerful legs of his carried them across base in a matter of seconds, and soon he was dumping her roughly back on the berth. Sundance jumped back to her feet and spun around with her jaws wide open to bite but all she saw was the mech turning to charge back out.

She couldn't be sure, but it looked like that fragger had a big grin stuck on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>:) It's really fun writing Grimlock into this story, Swoop too. I've always had a soft spot for dinosaurs...never had a reason to write them into a story before, until now! <strong>

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Much love!**

**Sundance, her family, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Primus, when I see that blasted mech again, I'll-"

"Hey! 'Dance! Where's the fire?"

Sundance stopped her grumbling, turning to face Jazz when he sprinted up to her. He took a double take, realizing that she was missing half her armor. He blinked and pointed a finger, "Not tryin' to jinx you or anything, but...won't Ratchet be throwin' wrenches if he comes back and you're not in the med bay?"

Sundance gave him a look, "Ratchets not here."

"I noticed," A confused expression filled his face, "I don't think I've seen those mechs take off like that in twenty years."

"My uncle was shot."

Sundance watched as the confusion turned to shock. "What? Which one? Where?"

"My uncle was shot," Sundance repeated, pausing when Optimus spotted her and walked over. She continued once both mechs were paying attention to her, "Uncle Pockets. Someone shot him."

Optimus knelt, "Demona's rage...this is why..."

Sundance tilted her head in his direction, "Yes. Dad and Ratchet took off as soon as she told them, that's why they were running like mad to leave base. I don't know what condition he's in, or if anyone else was hurt."

"Primus," Jazz muttered, "it was those slaggin' Hunters, wasn't it?"

"If it was," Sundance growled, voice dropping to a cold, harsh whisper, "they better be praying to whatever gods they worship that my fangs never find them."

She noticed when Optimus tensed. The concern dimmed on his face, a sterner look filling his optics, "Sundance, we do not harm humans."

"How am I supposed to protect my family?" Sundance argued, turning to face him completely, "how is mom supposed to keep her brothers safe from an enemy we have no right to fight?"

He said nothing, studying her.

Sundance vented sharply, swinging away to keep walking.

She felt calm flood through her when both of her creators reached through the bond to her, trying to soothe her anger. Jolt said, _'He's fine. The bullet hit his shoulder, Ash and Rose are undamaged.' _

Sundance paused, letting the tension leave her body. _'Are you on your way back?'_

_'Yes.' _

She cast a sideways look at the two mechs, "No fatal damage. They're on their way back now."

Before they could say anything else, she went on her way. A little, logical voice in the back of her processor told her to go back to the med bay and avoid the risk of angering Ratchet, but her spark told her to go outside and wait for them.

Besides, it was the girls' first trip to the autobot base. They both grew up around Sundance-they'd be most comfortable with her. _Ash and Rose. _She flicked her tail in thought. It'd been a while since she'd seen her cousins.

Sundance stepped outside, sitting down in the sand with her red optics scanning the horizon. It seemed like hours before she saw the blue armor of her mech creator, followed by Ratchet.

She snorted, tilting her head when Jolt slowed down enough for Ratchet to pass. The older medic rolled to a stop beside her, popped the back door open just long enough for a tall, lean blonde headed teenager and a little curly-haired girl to hop out. Then the door slammed shut, in an annoyed manner, before the medic headed into base. Sundance could have sworn the mech was glaring at her the entire time.

Jolt was a little more slower as he made his entrance, tugging on her spark lightly before he disappeared inside.

"Sunny!"

Sundance looked down when a little bitty body wrapped around her wrist. All tension left her when the tiny girl tilted her head back to beam at her, wide organic _green _optics shining. The little girl giggled when the femme dropped her head to press her nose into her side. Sundance greeted, smiling softly, "Hi, Rosey."

The child wrapped her arms tight around as much of Sundance's nose as she could. The other human moved forward, reaching up to press her palm to her face. The dragon added, "Hi, Ash."

"Hey, 'Dance," Ash grinned, "so how many guys have tried to grab your ass while you were walking around half-dressed?"

Sundance snorted, "A big moron named Grimlock _stepped_ on me, broke my leg and armor. I'm 'half-dressed' because it takes a while to make new armor."

"You let some guy step on you?" Ash blinked, "seriously?"

"He makes Optimus look small," Sundance snorted, cutting her a sharp look. When Ash sent her a look, she realized that the girl had never seen Optimus. Sundance leaned back in thought, searching for an explanation she'd understand.

"Is daddy going to be okay?"

The small voice interrupted them. Both of them turned back to the tiny girl, who was now huddling against Sundance, sad eyes turned down to her hands. Instinctively, Sundance curled her body around the child like a living shield, leaving enough room for Ash to join them. The older of the two humans knelt and pushed Rose's wild curly hair from her face with a soft smile, "Did you know that my dad thinks your dad is his hero?"

Rose just blinked at her with wide eyes, like an owl. Sundance added, "My mom thinks he's one of the strongest people she's seen."

"He'll be fine, Rosey. God built him to be tough," Ash finished.

Rose looked back and forth between them, before her smile came back full-force. She hugged one than the other. Sundance poked them carefully with her nose, "Did you want to meet my friends?"

"Yes!" Rose exclaimed, raising her arms. Ash picked her up and settled her on her hip, looking at Sundance, "It's about time you offered to give us a tour."

Sundance chuckled, uncurling so she could stand. She followed them into base.

* * *

><p><strong>Late, short update. Sorry. <strong>

**I hope you all had a good Christmas. Much love.**

**Sundance, her family, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not. **

**And just curious, but how many of you think you know who Ash is?**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"I feel like a ant," Ash commented as Sundance led them down the halls. There was a slight frown on her face, "I don't like it."

Sundance snorted, "You've been around my parents since you were born."

Ash cut her a look, "Yeah, but this place feels _too big _for your parents."

The femme hummed softly for a moment, red optics glancing down at the pair. _Primus, they're growing fast. _She hadn't been in her third frame for long, it was all still sort of new, and from what Ratchet told her, it'd be a _long _time before she actually grew into it. But somewhere between being in her second frame and being transferred to her third, Ash had been born. Sixteen years ago, to be exact. And Sundance had often watched over her and played with her through her childhood, watching her grow. Once, before Ash's mother picked up and moved away, they had been best friends. But it had been a while since she'd last seen her, and she was already in high school and had bought her first car...

Primus, she hated how fast humans aged. It was almost like they were around just long enough for her to love them before their bodies were giving out on them from old age. Sundance's spark clenched in her chest, thoughts turning to Gears.

Sundance loved her mimi, some of her earliest memories were of the woman holding her tiny sparkling frame and singing to her softly. She was one of the first faces Sundance had come to love.

A whistle from below snapped her back to reality. Sundance blinked, focusing on the humans who were about twenty feet down the hall way. Ash was turned towards her with a hand on her hip. She raised an eyebrow, "You okay back there, 'Dance?"

Again, the femme blinked. She then realized that she had stopped when she'd fallen into her thoughts, and started up again, closing the distance between them in seconds. She ignored Ash's question, asking her own, "How's your family doing?"

Ash sighed, expression going slack, "Mom's doing better. She just bought a car so she doesn't have to ride the bus to work every day. She's got a new job, and we've been staying in an apartment on the crappier side of town. She keeps telling me that we're doing great, compared to how she was homeless half her life, but...I don't know," she pushed her free hand through her long, straight hair, "it just feels like we're not getting anywhere."

Sundance hesitated, spark clenching in pain and warning. She wanted to ask, she really did, but she didn't want to risk upsetting her. _How's your dad? Mimi and Uncle Pockets are worried about him. Did your mom ever forgive him? Is he even still alive? No...we haven't heard from him, either..._

Thankfully she didn't have to. Ash glanced up at her, a rare flash of pain shining in her eyes before it was swept away. The human kept on going, readjusting her hold on Rose who was consumed in awe, looking down all the massive hallways as they passed and eye balling the gargantuan doors. Ash said, "He still calls every day, but mom won't talk to him. She'll leave the phone dead sometimes...and then she'll make sure it's charged and sit by the phone and spend hours just waiting for him to call, but it's like she can't bring herself to answer when he does."

"Do you miss him?" The question was soft, almost a whisper. Sundance tilted her head down to watch Ash, who kept her expression carefully blank now.

Ash didn't have a chance to answer. All three heads looked up when a door slid open with a hiss and huge metal feet stepped out. Sundance bit back a groan when a red mech poked his head out, a sly grin slapped across his face. He was saying, speaking to someone standing behind him in the room, "The coast is clear, Sunny. I don't see anyone-" He cut himself off, optics meeting Sundance's. She watched as they widened, growing round with surprise. He sputtered, "S-Sundance?"

Ash carted Rose closer to Sundance, posting herself between her arms, the top of her head barely touching Sundance's chest armor. It was a good move, since someone grumbled behind the candy red mech before a wheeled foot slammed into his back and sent him sprawling face-first on the ground. Sunstreaker rolled out from behind him, several cubes of glowing energon stacked in his hands. Sideswipe was fixed on Sundance though, pushing himself up onto his hands to stare at her with wide optics. Shocked speechless, he raised a finger to point.

Sunstreaker hadn't noticed yet and was busy counting his spoils, making sure he had every cube of energon they'd come to get. He ordered, "On your feet, Sides. We need to get the frag out of here before-"

Sundance snarled.

Both mechs froze at the sound. If it was possible, Sideswipe's optics grew _bigger. _Sunstreaker turned around slowly to face her. Ash snapped, "No language around Rosey!"

Sundance shifted her wings, folding them neatly against her body.

"Primus, you're freaking _huge_," Sideswipe muttered, "that is you, right, Sundance?"

Her snarl shifted into a smirk, "Hi, boys. It's been a while."

Sunstreaker was busy studying her intensely, pale blue optics narrowed slightly. Sideswipe bounced up to his feet and rushed over, "When the pit-" Sundance growled in warning but he ignored it, "-did you get here?"

"I've been here for a week," Sundance answered, optics narrowing, "no one told you?"

"No! Why haven't you come to see us, femme?"

Sundance snorted. _Like I have a reason to...Primus, there's no telling how much crap you two got me into on base._

"You were injured," Sunstreaker abruptly said, lifting a hand to motion to her missing armor, "why aren't you in the med bay?"

"Because she's giving us a tour," Ash said. Finally, both mechs looked down at her.

Sideswipe dropped to a crouch in a smooth motion, leaning forward to look at them, "Hey...these aren't the humans your family usually carries around."

Rose blinked up at him before raising a hand to press to Sundance's armor, "Sunny, do you know these guys?"

Sideswipe almost pulled back in surprise, before beaming at his twin, "Aw! Sundance has a nickname now!"

Sundance rolled her optics, "Ash, Rose, this is Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, autobot front-liners."

"Whose are they?" Sideswipe wondered.

"Pardon?" Ash asked, squinting at him.

"Do they belong to Demona or you?" He repeated, staring at Sundance.

Sundance cast a glance down when she heard Ash stomp her foot, which was a red flag that she was about to let her temper get the best of her. She lowered her head, bending her neck almost painfully, and pressed her nose very gently against the two humans. She answered, "They belong to both of us and we belong to them. These two are part of our family, Sideswipe."

Sideswipe straightened, rubbing a hand on his helm, "Primus, I'll never get you or that crazy femme."

Sundance snorted, "Mom says the same about you."

"You're really pretty," Rosey said, staring at Sunstreaker, "yellow is my favorite color, too. I like it because the sun is yellow, and the sun makes every thing pretty."

_Oh dear Primus, don't say that. Please don't say that, _Sundance groaned internally, fighting the urge to hit her head on something, _the freakin' mech's ego is as big as Cybertron as it is, don't go making it bigger..._

Sunstreaker just stared though, like he was trying to understand something foreign. Rose kept going, now looking at Sideswipe, "Red is my second favorite color. I like red because I like Sunny and Auntie Dem, and daddy's red hair."

She turned to wrap an arm around Sundance's nose, "I love you, Sunny."

Sundance's spark warmed. She smiled softly, shuttering her optics, "I love you, too, Rosey."

Ash huffed, drawing their attention. With a giggle, Rose let go of Sundance and threw her arms around the older of the two humans, hugging her tight, "And we both love you, Ash!"

Sundance chuckled, lifting her head. She turned back to the mechs when Sideswipe started to say something. The two were cut off when a voice ground out, "_Sideswipe!_"

"Slag! That's Prowl!" Sideswipe hissed, yanking some of the energon cubes from Sunstreaker. He paused to glance at Sundance as his twin took off, "I'll see you soon, Sunny."

Then he was peeling out of there, cutting around the corner and out of sight just as a rather stiff, angry looking Prowl stormed through the hallway.

"I'm guessing those two are the equivalent of hot high school boys," Ash started, looking up at Sundance.

Sundance vented softly, "You could say that."

"What's the police car's name?" Rose asked, squinting at Prowl's back.

"Prowl," Sundance said, voice tensing, "I don't know him well."

"And you don't like him," Ash finished, watching her face. Sundance waited until the mech disappeared before glancing at her.

"I don't trust him," she corrected, "and he doesn't trust me."

She dropped her head and nosed them. Once they started walking again, Sundance fell into step behind them. She said, "You'll like Jazz and 'Bee. Ironhide, too."

"You said something earlier about an 'Optimus'," Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. She paused to cover Rose's ears, "what the shit is an 'Optimus'?"

Sundance blinked, "Rex never told you about Optimus Prime?"

"No...usually just about you, aunt Dem, Uncle Jolt, some guys named Mudflap and Skidz and some other a-hole called Megadon."

"Mega_tron_," Sundance corrected. Ash waved her off.

"Optimus leads the autobots," Sundance explained, "he keeps us on good terms with the Government and has led us to victory and peace."

Ash paused, turning around to face her. She put Rose down when the child said so, and pushed, "I hear a 'but' in there."

"I love Optimus, too," Sundance said quietly, "he's as much family as you are to mother and I, but...lately I've begun to worry."

"What's going on?"

"He's not allowing us to take action against the Hunters, even after they sent someone to," Sundance hesitated, glancing down at Rose who was busy tracing the small scars and etchings on her claws, "hurt Alec."

Ash stared, "Wait, _what?_"

"The autobot golden rule is to never harm a human," Sundance said, tone turning bitter, "but it's okay for them to harm us and attack our sparklings and family."

"That's bullshit." Again, Ash had rushed to cover Rose's ears before she spoke, eyes narrowed, "that's the biggest load of crap I've heard in ages. What the hell is the point of trying to live in peace and even have a family to share it with if you can't protect them?"

"Mom's keeping everyone at home inside, so they won't be at risk," Sundance added, "Dad will probably ask Optimus to let you all stay here until this thing is cleared up."

"What about everyone else? IF they know who we are, they can track down my mom, dad, uncle Critter, _anyone _that's tied to you."

Sundance tensed, "Then we'll ,just have to keep you all safe."

"There is nothing safe about hiding," Ash continued, "these are some persistent ass holes-you should be able to defend us if things get crazy. We're just normal fucking humans, we're not trained assassins or armored warriors. What happens if one of us dies, 'Dance? I get that the law is in place to make sure none of the autobots gets trigger happy, but what it one of us is shot in the head when you were right there, in reach, but couldn't do anything because of it?"

Sundance snarled, lowering her head until they were eye-level. She swore, "Trust me, Ash. If it ever comes to that point, I will fight. The rule has power, but not enough to make me sit back and watch my family die."

Ash studied her for a moment before giving an approving nod. They turned forward, Sundance staying a few steps ahead and leading them towards the small human cafeteria when Rose began to complain about being hungry.

* * *

><p><strong>I've come to the realization that I'm writing things a bit differently in this one, like characters. I blame it on the fact that it's from Sundance's POV and not Dem's...<strong>

**Anyway, sorry for yet another late update...my bodys all out of wack, I was just too exhausted to haul myself out of bed this morning and easily slept through the entire day...I've never done that before. **

**Anyway, I'm also beginning to realize that there are quite a few things that have happened between this and TLF, so I'm probably going to do a series of one-shots, each chapter about the events that have taken place in the time-skip. I am writing the first one now-might have it up some time this week. **

**Hope you enjoyed it, much love. **

**Sundance, Ash, Rose, Rex, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Sundance cracked an optic open when she felt subtle trembles through the floor.

Ash and Rose were clueless, each seated in the spot on her back between her wings, one of the few plates on her body that didn't have a sharp edge. Ash was facing forward, legs stretched out and parted. Rose was sitting with her back to her chest, trying her hardest to keep a sloppy peanut butter and jelly sandwich together. Ash had finished her lunch a few minutes earlier and was entertaining herself by watching the younger human.

Sundance vented softly, turning her head to watch the doors. There was only a few mechs that made the ground tremble like that-Optimus, Ironhide, and, of course, Grimlock. _Primus. _

She was seriously hoping that it wasn't Grimlock.

"I got a dumb question."

Sundance blinked, shifting her new leg slightly when she felt it going numb. She was laying down in the corner, curled slightly to save room. She'd been dozing peacefully, not quite going into recharge but on the verge. Now she raised her head to look at Ash, who was watching her.

"I'm all for dumb questions," Sundance said, "what is it?"

"Are you cold without your armor on? Do you guys even get cold?"

Sundance shot her a look, "When you walk around naked, are _you _cold?"

The girl blinked, then made a face, "Point made."

Sundance grinned. She cast a quick glance at the door way when she sensed the same mech approaching, much closer now. She started, "I am, a little. And yeah, we can get cold. If someone dropped me off in the middle of the arctic, I'd freeze in minutes."

"But you're _huge._" She motioned with one hand, "no offense, I mean, hey, you can kick the shit out of the boys if they piss you off, but you've got a bigger body mass, more warmth. And let's not forget that you're a forty-foot long walking flame thrower."

"Exactly. I was built to last through heat, not cold."

"Is that why you don't like swimming?"

Sundance snorted, "I don't swim because I'll sink to the bottom."

Ash shut her mouth, frowning. Sundance vented softly, _Primus, here comes another question..._

Before Ash could get it out, Rose yelped in surprise. Sundance looked down in time to see globs of jelly falling on to her pants. Ash laughed, "I told you it was too much!"

The little girl huffed.

"Femme."

Sundance went rigid at the voice, raising her head and hoping to Primus that she had not just heard _that _voice. She groaned internally when her bright red optics met Grimlock's ice blue ones. The monstrous mech was bent so that he could fit some of his body into the doorway. He was still storming around in his alternate, so she got a good shot of those frame-crushing teeth.

Apparently, Ash got a good shot of them, too. The girl turned to see who was there and literally tumbled off Sundance's back in shock. Rose dropped her sandwich, which exploded all over Sundance's armor on impact, to clamp her small hands around her when Sundance twisted. Panic filled her as Ash hit the floor in what can only be described as a "splat", face-down with limbs stretched out in an 'X'.

"Primus!" Sundance exclaimed, shifting back so she could reach Ash easier, "Ash! Are you okay?"

"Okay," Ash wheezed, getting back to her feet, "I've seen some crazy shit, but a fucking dinosaur? Seriously?"

Sundance bit out a laugh, more out of relief than amusement, and shot, "Watch your language."

The floor shook as Grimlock wiggled his way inside the already massive doors, and rumbled, "I put you in the med bay."

"I let myself out," Sundance said, warning packed in her voice. He didn't even seem to notice the humans, optics never leaving her's. A low growl rolled out of his chest, although it didn't sound aggressive.

He then asked, shocking her, "You would risk angering the medic?"

Sundance blinked owlishly at him. _Damn, Ratchet...even Grimlocks afraid of you._

She tensed slightly when her father abruptly tugged on her spark, just enough to get her attention. She turned her optics away, stilling as a grumbling Ash climbed back up to sit beside Rose who was trying to salvage what she could of her lunch.

_'Sundance,' _Jolt started. Sundance tugged back to let him know he had his attention.

Grimlock beat him to it, though, "Optimus wants to talk to the..." He hesitated, a disgusted look taking over his face-plates, "_fleshlings._"

Her glare snapped back in place. She uncoiled and stood with a snarl, "They have _names._"

Jolt continued, _'Ironhide has come by with your armor, so get yourself back to the med bay.'_

"There you go with the Optimus again-" Ash exclaimed, "-why the hell does he want to talk to us?"

Grimlock let out a roar. It wasn't as impressive as the one he'd laid on her the first time they'd met, but it succeeded in scaring Rose and, in turn, pissing Ash off. Sundance felt the tiny girl huddle against her, pressing hard against her armor like she was trying to disappear. Sundance's spark filled to the brim with rage, completely blocking out her father's attempts at trying to calm her.

Before she realized what she was doing, Sundance was facing the mech, across the cafeteria and all up in his space. She spread her wings some, blade-like feathers standing up stiffly with aggression. Her lip plates shifted and pulled back, showing every curved, thin, lethal black tooth. The gears in her jaws turned rapidly as she spread her jaws wide open in a roar that put his own to shame.

The humans still rested on the plate on her back, protected by her fanned feathers.

Grimlock blinked slowly at her, face going slack in shock. When he didn't make any move to step back, Sundance risked putting herself in biting range and slammed the flat of her horns into his chest, _shoving _him back.

Despite the anger making her spark burn as hot as the liquid fire in her belly, it pounded with instinctive fear. Her spark told her to rage-to defend her family. Her instincts and processor were screaming at her to back the pit off. She'd heard enough horror stories, heard all about Grimlock's own anger. The kind of anger that shattered cities and toppled god-like enemies. One bite from his jaws and she would be dead-_That's fine, _she snarled to these instincts and thoughts, _mom and dad will tear his aft to scrap metal. _

_'I'm on my way,' _she finally said, addressing her father who was having a mild panic attack. She caught ghosts of near hysterical thoughts, the kind that whispered of the weeks her mother had spent in wrath-ridden insanity. She snorted outloud. It had taken something great to make Demona snap like that, and even then she'd been strong enough to restrain from taking innocent lives before she wrestled back control. _'Tell Optimus that I'm bringing the girls to the med bay. He can question them there.'_

She started walking, trying her hardest to ignore the gargantuan dinobot as he turned and lumbered after her.

Hours passed, it seemed like, until the doors of the med bay hissed open before them. Sundance stepped inside, pausing long enough for both humans to slip carefully down before Jolt offered his hand to them. They sat down and he lifted them up to the berth where her uncle Pockets was, damaged but awake. He grinned tiredly when Rose's face lit up.

The little girl threw her arms around him, "Daddy!"

Ratchet muttered a few choice words when the man winced with pain. Pockets sent him a quick look over the child's head before hugging her with his good arm and burying his face in her hair.

Ash strolled on over, "You look like extra-greasy deep fried crap."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "You're gifted with your dad's poetic speech."

She grinned broadly, "Something mom tells me _all _the time."

Sundance hopped up onto the berth, carefully angling her body so she didn't disturb them. Pockets' grin broadened when she settled slowly behind then, "Hey, girl. I haven't seen you in a while."

Sundance grinned back, still ignoring Grimlock who had forced his way through the med bay doors and was standing a ways away. Ratchet had nearly cussed up a storm when the huge mech bent the already dented frame. She said, "Hey, uncle Pockets. Mom and mimi have really missed you."

He stretched out a hand to place against her nose, attacking Ash next with a sharp look, "And you. Why haven't you come to see any of us? Where in the pit-"

"-_on earth_," Sundance corrected.

"-have you been?"

Ash pushed a hand through her pin-straight blonde hair, "Oh, here and there." She gave an almost devilish smile, "I haven't had time for anything, really. Got a reputation to keep up."

He blinked, "You are just like your parents."

She laughed and leaned back against Sundance's arm. He added, "How's your mom?"

"She's good. I haven't talked to daddy in a while, so I have no idea how he's doing."

"So I guess they never worked things out, huh?"

The smiled seemed to die. It was still there in away, only fake. She shook her head, "No."

"Knowing those two," Ratchet chipped in with a soft vent, "the issue may never be resolved. Primus, those are two most hard-headed creatures I've ever seen."

"So you know my family, huh?" Ash's attention turned to him. She frowned slightly, "I don't remember them saying anything about you."

Taking the hint, he introduced, "I am Ratchet, autobot-_senior _autobot-medical officer." He cut a glance in Jolt's direction, who was doing his best at looking innocent, when he corrected himself.

"Ah, an alien doctor," Ash mused, "so."

Ratchet raised an optic ridge, waiting for her to continue. She waggled her eyebrows in a way that had Sundance thinking of Rex, and said, "Have you ever stuck someone with an anal probe before?"

Sundance smacked a clawed hand over her face with a groan. _PRIMUS!_

Pockets shot her a look while ratchet grumbled out, "You and your creator...it frightens my spark to think that _two _of you are now walking this poor planet."

She cracked a big grin, then turned towards the door when it hissed open. Her jaw nearly hit the floor when she saw Optimus.

Sundance inclined her head to the mech, followed by her father and her uncle. Ratchet managed to shove Grimlock out since the med bay was beginning to get crowded. The huge mech stepped closer to the berth Sundance's family was piled on, concerned optics falling on Pockets.

He greeted, "Alec. It's good to see you again, although I wish it were under better circumstances."

Pockets smiled back, "It's been a long time, Optimus."

"Your injuries seem minimal."

"He's lucky," Ratchet started, putting a hand on the berth and leaning against it, "the only damage he received was to his shoulder-nothing fatal," he cut the human a look, "which is a mere scratch compared to everything _else _you've gotten yourself into."

Sundance snorted in agreement, shifting closer to wrap her tail loosely around her human family. Ash spoke up again, coming out of her shock with a small shake of her head. She leaned back against the dragon again, at complete ease. Her eyes never strayed from Optimus.

The mech vented lightly, "Demona thinks he was related to the hunters."

"He didn't look like one," Pockets explained. He pushed a hand through his hair and cast his eyes downward almost tiredly, "I don't understand. He seemed like he was a nice guy, normal."

"Wait," Ash cut in, drawing everyone's eyes and optics. She squinted at him, "you _knew _him?"

"Yeah. I met him at the park a week ago. He was friendly, you know?"

Ash glanced at Jolt when he stated, electric blue optics narrowed, "He's been following you."

"I have no idea. I never saw his car...until last night."

"Shit," Ash hissed, "I _knew _something was wrong when I passed that creeper at the park. You were targeted."

When he just blinked back, she threw up her hands in exasperation, straightened up, and started to pace, "God, Alec. Whoever the hell he was-he meant business. If I hadn't followed him back, he would have _killed _you. That was a damn near perfect shot he had on you...Dammit, dammit, dammit..."

"But why would he come after me?"

"Because he was ordered to," Sundance added, optics following the teenage girl as she continued to storm back and forth, "why else? I did damage most of their equipment last time I saw them."

Optimus mirrored Ratchet, leaning against a berth across from theirs, "What if it wasn't the hunters?"

Ash stopped long enough to give him a '_are you really that f'ing dumb?' _look, then motioned wildly towards Pockets and Rose, who was curled in his lap, trying her hardest to keep her eyes open while she was snuggled into his chest. She said, "He's like the freaking _definition _of a pure heart! Family and friends first, gives his all in everything he does. Loyal. Nice. He's got no reason to be singled out other than the fact his 'sister' and 'brother-in-law' come from a different _planet._ What other explanation is there? If it was just some random dude, he wouldn't have spent days planning things out."

"And what is your name, youngling?" Optimus asked.

"Ashlynn John," Ash answered, giving a vague motion of her hand towards herself, "call me Ash."

"Ash, then," He started, "were you a target, too?"

"No. I just happened to be in the area, and I knew uncle Pockets takes Rosey to the park on fridays. I was just going to swing by and say hi when I saw this guy parked in the corner of the lot, tinted windows and black car and everything. Squinty eyes. Black bag in the seat. The whole nine yards. I knew he was _something, _and I didn't have anything planned for the day, so I followed him. When I saw him make a move on my uncle, I wrecked my car into his to throw him off."

"She saved our life," Pockets said softly,

"You are Rex's child." Optimus stated suddenly.

Ash nodded back at him.

The Prime's optics softened, "Thank you, Ash."

She blinked, but before she could say anything else, the huge mech turned back to Pockets, "Could you describe him for me?"

Pockets began to describe the man, apparently called "Don". Sundance shut them out then, turning her attention to Ash. She poked her in the side with her nose, then raised an optic ridge at her, "Since when were you such an expert on this kind of thing?"

Ash snorted, "Really, 'Dance? You've met my mom, haven't you?"

A soft almost inaudible growl rolled out of Sundance's throat, but she said nothing else because her father had turned to her.

Jolt scooped up Sundance, somehow managing to gather her body, which was easily as big as his, and set her on a different berth. He wordlessly began attaching her new plates of armor. They both listened to the conversation between Optimus and the humans.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm back...for now, anyway. <strong>

**The chapter is kinda screwy because when I dropped off the face of the earth for a few days, I was in the middle of writing it. So now that I'm starting again, I have to find my rythm again. Yay. **

**The last bits of dialogue may be confusing-It looks like Ash knows her way around this whole assassination thing. Whether it's good or bad is a mystery. I'll just let you guys chew on that for a while...And isn't the question burning a hole in you, like, "Where the hell is Rex?"**

**Anyway, I started my series of One-Shots between here and TLF. It's called "Reflections", and I'm working on the second update now, which brings me to something else. **

**Updates may be slower this time around. I'll try to squeeze one in for both stories at least once every other day. No promises, though. **

**Much love. Sorry for disappearing for a while. I had to figure some things out.**

**Sundance and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"This is crap."

"Yep."

"Like, a big _pile _of crap."

"Uh huh."

"It's so crappy that the word crap doesn't even do it justice!"

Sundance huffed softly, "That's what I've been telling you."

Ash whirled around, hands still raised. She kept ranting, facing the big femme, "He's not going to do anything, is he?"

Sundance tapped her claws over the metal roofing, listening to the resulting clangs. After Optimus had left when his interrogation was over, Ash had talked her into heading otuside. Of course, her father and Ratchet had not been too happy about letting her go so soon, but after a detailed scan she was released from the med bay.

She tilted her head slightly, optics narrowing, "All he can do is raise security and try to convince Gears to move the family back to base, uncle Pockets and his family included. Your mom too, probably."

Ash snorted, "Mom would rather stick a fire-poker up her ass than come back here. She still doesn't trust you guys."

"It's not like we've saved the world three times in a row or anything."

Ash cut her a sharp look, "Mom doesn't trust _anyone, _so don't you dare pull that shit!"

Sundance rolled her optics skyward, "Optimus won't take direct action because he knows half the autobots are all for beating the living slag out of those 'Hunters'. If we started, he probably couldn't stop us."

"You would be one of the 'slag-beating' bots." It was a statement, not a question, so Sundance didn't reply with a yes or no answer. Instead, she settled on her newly restored armor.

Ash sighed heavily, going slack for a moment, "This was supposed to be my week off, dammit."

"From what, exactly? Last time I checked, the human schools didn't just hand out free weeks."

"From work, Sunshine."

"What kind of work."

Sundance felt the teenager's small fist connect with her new shiny armor. Ash glared at her, "You _know_ what kind of work."

"The kind that could easily get you killed," Sundance rumbled, "what the freakin' _hell _got into your head to make you want to choose this life?"

Ash gave a short, harsh, humorless laugh, "I save lives, Sunny, just like _you_. When someone's got a guy with a gun and a motive on their ass, I'm the one they call."

"Primus, Ash, you're _only _seventeen."

"Mom was fifteen when she watched her only friend die in her arms," Ash continued, tone almost sarcastic, "she was sixteen when she got caught in her first bar fight, where some poor bastard was beat to death."

A small hand gripped the spike on her snout, pulling. Sundance let Ash pull her head down so they were eye-level. Ash pointed at her, silver eyes almost glinting, but not with joy, "I was _raised _into this, Sundance. I didn't _choose _it."

Sundance snarled, the sound rolling deep in her chest. She squinted her optics at the girl, "Then get out." Ash tilted her head slightly when the dragon pushed, "This life will get you killed, Ash."

"I know."

Sundance pulled free and stood up. _Stupid fragging humans..._She shook with a sharp vent, "But you really don't care, do you?"

"Didn't you hear me, moron? What I do saves lives." Ash hissed, "it doesn't matter how many times I have to stitch myself up in the dark so mom doesn't find out, it doesn't matter how many times I have a knife at my throat. All that matters is protecting those people."

"_Seventeen,_" Sundance repeated, forcing the number out through her clenched fangs, "Aren't you a little young to be playing vigilante?"

"You fought Galvatron when you were what, four years old?"

"That's different."

"HA!" Ash stepped back and threw her arms open wide, "how, Sundance? How!"

_Primus. _Sundance stared at the human. She'd watched Ash grow from baby to child, from child to teen. Honestly, she knew that Ash's story had some sense of reason to it. Her mother had been treated like a warrior since the day of her creation. Her father had slain his first mech when he had only been in his second frame. Then there was Sundance herself, who had been fighting decepticons before she had grown into her third frame.

But they were different.

Ash, the other humans...they were simply too small, too fragile. Sundance had seen how breakable they were, she had buried a human once that had died when a decepticon had hit her a little too hard. It would have been harmless to Sundance, but the young woman had suffered for an entire night before her body gave out.

The unexpected memories twisted Sundance's spark. She lifted a hand and clenched her claws as she forced them away. She focused on Ash again, and after minutes of simply staring at each other, sat down with a soft sigh of defeat. She changed subjects, going back to their original topic, "Optimus is determined not to be the cause of the first casualty. If anyone makes a move, it'll have to be the humans."

Ash scoffed, "They've already made their first move. If I hadn't seen that asshole, Alec and Rose would be dead now." She paused, slowly turning to look at Sundance again, "what would you do if they _had_ died, Sundance?"

A heavy silence fell between them. Sundance kept her crimson optics trained on the falling sun. Ash was about to push for a response when she answered, "I would storm the earth until I found the human responsible, and I would make him suffer."

"And if Optimus tried to stop you?"

"I would do it anyway."

"Do what?" A new voice asked curiously. Ash growled and Sundance groaned as the dinobot Swoop swept down and landed gracefully beside them.

He grinned widely at Sundance and winked, stepping closer, "Did you miss me, femme?"

"About as much as I miss rust."

* * *

><p>"How lovely," The decepticon whispered as her serrated black talons sank deep into the earth. She shifted her body slowly, testing the new weight of her armor. Sharp, skeletal plates of reds and blacks glinted dangerously beneath the moon. "It's been too long since I've seen such a magnificent moon."<p>

"Voice down, Bloodstar," one of her companions hissed, "Havoc screwed the pit out of our landing. We've no doubt woken several of these so called organics."

The first swung her elegant form side ways to view her sisters, reacting to her name. She chuckled darkly as the third and final member of their trinity hauled herself out of the crater their landing created. Bloodstar smiled sweetly, flashing blood-red teeth, "Oh, Darkfire, no worries love. If they rise, then they rise."

She shifted from side to side, running scan after scan on her frame and systems to make sure everything was up and running properly. Her long tail curled and waved, brandishing a wickedly curved energon blade when she put the routines into action. Bloodstar laughed softly as she turned, unfolding her new wings and stretching them up as high as they could go, "This form really is something."

"Just what _is _it?" Darkfire snarled even as her body began to break apart and reform into a shape similar to her's-a great best of legend the 'humans' called a 'dragon'. Havoc stood up slowly and made a motion like she was brushing the sediments from her protoform armor.

"A creature of great power," Bloodstar answered, "perfect for our needs."

Bloodstar was well-balanced in build as a warrior, made for both, speed and strength. While she was formidable in size, Darkfire was an entire different story. The largest of the trine, Darkfire's chest was deep and wide. Her shoulders were massive and her wings easily dwarfed Bloodstar's. She was built solely for heavy combat, with a heavy club-like tail that could probably seriously slag a mech up. Her armor was heavy and black.

They both turned to Havoc, the skinniest of the three, as she snapped, "Well, Darkfire, if you had stayed the _frag_ out of my way, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Hurry and scan for a new body, _runt._" Darkfire turned to Bloodstar, "I hear them now."

Bloodstar tilted her head slightly, sweet smile turning wicked as her tuned up audios picked up the hushed whispers and hurried tiny footsteps rushing through the trees surrounding them. She chuckled softly, "Hmmm...they certainly are loud little things, aren't they?"

Havoc began to transform behind them.

"I wonder..." Bloodstar continued, stepping forward slowly as the first of the humans broke free from the trees and abruptly slammed to a stop in shock and horror. She felt her tanks churn hungrily-energon had been rare on their trip here. She knew that her sisters were starving as well. "If the life-blood of our own can sustain us, what else can?"

Darkfire tilted her head, cold red optics suddenly taking a brighter, more curious shine. Bloodstar laughed again, stalking forward, "Make sure to save a few for our sister, Darkfire."

The human tried to run, but Bloodstar was too quick for him. His cries died abruptly the second her lethal red teeth snapped shut over his fragile body.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, first of all, going back to the first half of this chapter...yes, Ash is a highschool 'vigilante' as Sundance put it. It sounds unlikely, but she gets it from Shark who has been on her own on the streets since she was little, so she knows her way around this crap. Ash calls it her 'job', but really, all it is is driving around and beating up criminals, like muggers and robbers and rapists and stuff like that. If she sees someone beating on some poor helpless civilian, she jumps out of her car and runs over there and beats the shit out of them. In between 'jobs', she gets her share of injuries and close calls, hence Sundance's concern.<strong>

**Also, this deceased woman Sundance brings up has a little story to her own. I plan on writing a One-Shot in 'Reflections' about her and Sundance later. She does mean something to Sundance, and is one of the reasons why she is so damn protective of her human family/friends.**

**Anyway...This new trine-and I'm calling them a trine because they're still seekers even if they're dragons-is an all femme team with an extra nasty love for cruelty. They just kind of popped up into my head, but they do serve a purpose, and will probably be the main enemies in this story. **

**And yes, they're eating the humans. It's really morbid, but it's how I pictured them in my head. They're bad news, and I want them to act it...I can only imagine what kind of trouble they'll bring as the story goes. The autobots will have their hands full with them.**

**Sorry for a late update. Much love, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Sundance and her family, Bloodstar's trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Where's that creation of yours, Jolt?" Ratchet grumbled.

Jolt looked up from replacing Pockets' bandage. His vivid blue optics dimmed slightly before returning to normal, "Searching for Jetfire."

Ratchet paused, a different expression twisting his features. It lasted for less than a second before it vanished, but the younger mech caught it and straightened.

"Ratchet."

"Blasted youngling teaching the sparklings to play their blasted pranks..." Ratchet grumbled, "When I get my hands on that dragon, I'll-"

"What's wrong with Jetfire."

This time, the question came from the human, green eyes hauntingly clear and focused on Ratchet. His daughter was curled up in his lap, one tiny arm looped around this barrel-like body. The thought crossed Ratchet's mind that, if Ironhide had been human, he would look just like Pockets, body-wise anyway.

Ratchet cast Jolt a look, realizing that the younger mech was also waiting for some explanation. He vented softly, "Nothing unnatural, Alec."

Pockets' eyes saddened, "He's getting old, isn't he?"

"Yes."

The senior medic watched as the human bowed his head and pushed a hand through his thick red hair. Jolt placed a hand on the berth next to him, still looking at Ratchet, although concern was now clear in his optics. He pushed, "Can we repair him?"

"It's not a matter of switching out old parts, Jolt," Ratchet explained, voice taking a tired tone, "His memory has begun to fail him, more than usual, and his spark is becoming too weak to support his body."

"Like mom."

Both mechs turned back to Pockets, who was staring at the wall in front of him without really seeing. Ratchet's optics and voice softened, "There's nothing we can do for him."

"Like mom," Pockets repeated, looking at him like he was hoping Ratchet would disagree. Ratchet said nothing, slowly lifting his gaze to Jolt when he stepped away from them, back turned.

"I thought he was able," Jolt started, "he helped the twins search for the dinobots, didn't he?"

"Jetfire's processor is right only when he's in the sky," Ratchet pressed a hand to his helm, "I suppose it's some ridiculous Seeker trait, but as soon as his feet are on the ground he tends to forget things. Important things. Used to, he'd be one of the first ones online in the morning to help Optimus with things around base. Now he stays shut up in the hangar all day."

"Sundance doesn't know," Jolt said abruptly.

Ratchet shook his head, "No."

Jolt cursed quietly, "Primus, Ratchet! Why didn't you say something before!"

"Jolt-"

"Take care of Alec. I need to find my daughter before she goes mad with rage."

And with that, the mech was out the door.

Ratchet stared after him almost blankly. He'd known Jolt since the mech had been a sparkling, and never once had he stood up and walked out on him like that.

"Uncle J looks pissed," Ash said as she stepped inside. She cocked a pale eyebrow at him, "what the hell did you shove up his ass, Big Bird?"

* * *

><p>"Jetfire?"<p>

Sundance shook slightly, loosening up the suddenly stiff feathers of her wings. Her sharp red claws sank into the earth, leaving deep scars.

She stuck her head inside the old mech's favorite hangar, expecting to see him snoozing or beating the pit out of some moron with his cane for making a smart-ass 'crazy and old' remark. Old memories filled her processor of the many times she'd come here in her youth, creeping around low to the ground in an attempt to sneak up on him. But he always caught her, no matter how hard she tried.

The hangar was empty.  
>And dusty.<br>And silent.

The femme vented sharply, _Where is he?_

"HEY SUNDANCE!"

With a yelp, Sundance jumped, spinning around with fangs bared to attack the intruder.

"Frag, 'Dance! Don't kill me! I'm just a sparkling!"

_Flashback. _Again, she vented. Sundance sucked in a deep breath of oxygen, feeling the fire in her belly warm and flicker in response. She held it for a second, before exploding, "PRIMUS, Flash! You KNOW better than to sneak up me like that! I could have killed you, you runt!"

The tiny mech blinked then cleared his throat loudly, "Um, HELLO! Like you could even hurt me! Besides, we both know mom and dad would be ALL OVER your ass if you-"

"_ENOUGH with the cursing!"_

His jaw clamped shut audibly, bright blue optics comically round.

Sundance sat down and raised a clawed hand to rub her helm. Primus, her processor _hurt. _

"Sundance?" Someone else called almost timidly, "Sundance, are you okay? You look..."

She turned her optics to little Solaris stared up at her with open concern. Beside him, Warhammer tapped his foot impatiently but otherwise looked bored out of his head.

Solaris' face-plates scrunched up in an expression Sundance had only seen on Optimus like he was searching for the right word. Finally, he said, "You look aggravated."

"I'm fine," Sundance said, tone normal but tense, "I'm just trying to find someone."

"Who?" Warhammer asked.

Sundance stood up and turned, walking further into the hangar. She bent her neck and brought her nose to the ground like a blood hound scenting it's target, and inhaled deeply. A number of scents passed over her olfactory sensors. She picked up the faint stink of Mudflap and Skids-_Primus help us if Rex ever comes back..._-the strong musk of the older set of twins, and several others. She sifted through them carefully, losing herself in the search as she walked all over the hangar with slow, even steps.

"Hey! Sister! _Who are you looking for!_" Flashback snapped, knocking her back to reality. Sundance lifted her head a few feet, optics narrowing when she realized that none of these scents matched her favorite story-teller. She answered just as he was about to repeat himself, "Jetfire."

She looked in the corner of her optics in time to see all three sparklings tense up and freeze like deer in the headlights. Sundance snorted, straightening slowly, "Jetfire is an honorable mech, I don't see why you're so afraid of him."

"He's slagging crazy, that's why!" Warhammer blurted, "_no bot _is safe around that mech!"

"He's right, 'Dance," Flashback agreed hurriedly, "he's losing his processor!"

She rolled her optics, turning and walking past them as she headed back out, "No he's not."

"Is too!"

"How do you know?"

"Because Ratchet said so," Solaris said quietly.

Sundance froze, foot still raised in the air. She turned back to them, "Wait...what?"

"We heard Ratchet talking to our dads when Jetfire freaked out and blew up the human firing range," Warhammer explained, "he said the old bot was going crazy."

Sundance stared, processor trying desperately to wrap itself around this new information. Slowly, she sank down until her belly and chest were pressed to the ground, "I...don't understand."

Flashback stared back, optics round with surprise. He asked, "Are you okay, sis?"

But Solaris answered, pointing in a different direction, "But I think Jetfire heard them, too. When he got out of the med bay, he moved to a hangar way out in the desert. It's really creepy."

Abruptly, Sundance stood up. Her processor was still spinning helplessly, but her spark was almost hysterical. Her spark understood, it knew, and it was telling her to _go. _Sundance plunged forward, unfurling her wings in a show of power. She shoved off the earth and shot into the air, flying as hard and fast as she could in the direction the sparkling had pointed.

She ignored the way how her brother began to tug on her spark like crazy. Demona and Jolt were concerned, and they tried to soothe her fears. Even her smallest sibling, barely old enough to speak his first words, was trying to calm her.

Sundance ignored them, slicing through the air so fast the wind whistled through her feathers. She scanned the sands, not letting up until an old hangar came into view. She angled her body sharply and dove towards the earth, landing hard enough to make the earth tremble and send up a thick spray of golden sand. She took a quick step forward than froze.

If Jetfire _was _losing his marbles, then there was a good chance that he would hurt her. Her spark ached at the very thought of it, but her instincts kicked in and she slung her body low to the ground as she moved towards the doors, praying to Primus that he was okay, that he'd remember her. She forced herself to focus as she neared the doors, defense routines already online.

She didn't make it.

With a squealing groan that would put sparkling-cries to shame, the door exploded outward and was half-way ripped off the building in one brutal shove. The massive black mech came barreling out, crimson optics lit like fire. He searched the area with his gaze. Sundance froze, staring with wide optics.

He _looked _perfectly fine, healthy even. His armor was new and mostly rust-free, he moved easily. But there was something off about his optics, how they seemed almost shattered in a way, distant.

"Jetfire?" She chanced, slowly raising her head.

The mech swung towards her, "NO! _I_ am _JETFIRE_!"

She almost laughed in relief-that had often been his response when someone called him by name from behind.

He seemed to straighten before bending over her, hands curling into claws. All amusement and relief was swept out of her as his massive shadow fell over her. He started to reach down before stopping cold.

Sundance held her breath.

The mech's face became full of confusion and recognition. His broken optics seemed to come back into focus. Her spark nearly sang when his whisper reached her audios.

"Sparkling?"

* * *

><p><strong>Honestly, guys. <strong>**Jetfire was going crazy to begin with...but he's a lovable crazy. At least he remembers her to some extent. **

**Kind of sad, kind of fun. We'll be seeing the Hunters(including Bry) here soon, as well as the new Seekers. And I wonder how the autobots haven't picked up on their landing yet? HMMM...**

**And I just realized how much I freakin' miss writing Paradox into things...**

**Much love, I hope you enjoyed.**

**Sundance and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"I told you they were real."

Bry studied his brother with narrowed pale eyes. Anger squeezed his heart like a big, black fist as he looked at the older man, a man he had admired his entire life. His own brother.

Brandon was the closest thing to a hero Bry had growing up. He was always the strongest, he was always the fastest. The smartest. The best. They didn't have much growing up, and although he meant the world to Bry, Brandon had still turned out dark. When he became a killer, taking lives for money, he'd been shunned by the entire family. His friends. Everyone.

Everyone but Bry, who could not, no matter how hard his parents tried to beat it out of him, stop loving his brother. Sometimes, Bry wondered if his love for his brother was the only thing that kept Brandon sane. The man had nothing else, nothing but his clients, his targets, his guns...Brandon would die and burn in hell before he ever showed any weakness. At least before, anyway.

Now he was trembling, almost curled in on himself like a person that had lost his mind. He stared back at Bry, but it was almost like he was blind. His eyes were dull and unfocused. Broken. Nothing like the sharp gaze of the man he'd known his entire life.

Bry started again, "Vicious, aren't they?"

"What..." Brandon swallowed hard, "What the fuck was it?"

"You _know _what it was."

Brandon bent and put his face in his hands, "God, I can still see it's eyes."

"You said it was a red Charger?"

He nodded slowly.

"I should have known that she'd be around...For some reason, she's protective of those damn people."

Brandon tensed before looking at him, "'She'?"

Bry nodded, "Yes."

"But she wasn't anywhere near the entire time I was..." Brandon trailed off, turning his eyes down to his hands. He clenched them suddenly, "That blonde bitch."

Bry raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"That girl that hit my damn car," Brandon snarled, "she must have called it or something. I saw her at the park before I went after him."

Bry stepped closer, "The aliens are bending humans to their ways, Brandon."

Brandon focused on him again.

"All I wanted was a little help, and they slammed the door in my face. A few weeks ago, my team was attacked by one. She blew up our truck-threw it up in the air and set it on fire like it was nothing. She picked me up in her teeth and threw me like I was trash. She nearly killed us all. What you saw was only the beginning."

Brandon narrowed his eyes, a piece of his old rebellions fire flaring up in his eyes, "I want in."

"It's dangerous work, brother."

"I don't give a fuck!" Brandon shouted, abruptly standing up, "I'm going to dismantle that giant son of a bitch if it's the last thing I do!"

Bry offered his hand, "Welcome to the Hunt."

* * *

><p>"Sundance?"<p>

Jetfire hovered over her, hands still shaped into claws. His shadow was huge, falling over her entire body. She should have been afraid...but his optics were full of almost painful recognition. He repeated her name, although it was more like he was trying to convince himself that she was real.

His optics dimmed slightly, "...Sparkling..."

Carefully, Sundance uncurled and stretched up to touch her nose to the plates of his beard, "Jetfire, are you...?"

"Blast this old processor," He grumbled, pulling back, "playing tricks on me..." He turned away.

Sundance's spark squeezed. She stood back up and followed him with silent footsteps as he lumbered back into the hangar. She watched as he walked all the way to the back wall before falling on his aft, red optics staring at the old tin almost blankly.

"She's not here, you fool," He said bitterly, "nothing but tricks..."

_What...? _Sundance stopped behind him, optics focused on him. She said, "Jetfire, It's me."

"Get out," He rumbled, reaching an arm out for his dusty cane, "or I'll _throw_ you out."

_No wonder the sparklings are afraid of him. _Sundance sat down slowly, "No."

He tensed, "Don't test me, you-"

"Jetfire!" She snapped, standing again, "I am not some scared little sparkling you can send away! I am Sundance, _your_ friend!"

"Get out!" He roared, twisting to snarl at her.

Sundance shifted back a step on impulse, spreading her wings slightly. Her optics were wide, fixed on his slightly trembling frame. He froze, like he had earlier when they were outside. His gaze focused on her again.

Sundance moved forward again. She said, voice quieter, "_No._"

She raised a clawed hand to press gently to his face, "Jetfire, why don't you remember me?"

"Tricks..." He repeated.

Sundance vented softly, the tension leaving her body. She let her hand fall back to the ground, "But I'm right here."

"Just go," He raised a hand to press to his helm like it hurt, "leave me to waste away in peace."

"Not until you tell me a story."

He went rigid.

"Tell me a story, Jetfire, tell me about how you struck fear into the sparks of decepticons."

"Sundance...?" He turned once more to her, squinting, "it can't be..."

Sundance sat down and stretched her wings out as far as she could inside the hangar, until her feathers brushed against the dusty tin of the walls. She smiled lightly at him, "I've grown a little, haven't I?"

His optics scanned over her wings before landing on her face again, "No tricks?"

"No tricks," She promised folding her wings again. She hardly had time to get anything else out because the old Seeker's arms abruptly closed around her, lifting all forty foot of her body into his embrace and holding her tight to his chest. Again, he fell backwards on his aft, sending a subtle tremble through the ground.

"Primus, sparkling," Jetfire whispered, "I missed you."

Sundance stretched up her neck and rested her head on his shoulder, "It's about time."

Slowly, he let her back down, "Where have you..."

"At home, with mom and dad," Sundance answered when he seemed to lose his train of thought, "Optimus called me here to help with something."

He faded again, "Optimus?"

"Yes, our Prime," Sundance answered, "our leader."

"Our...Prime..."

He went slack, leaning forward slightly like he didn't have the energy to keep his back straight. His arms were still closed around her, though, refusing to put her down. For a while, the only sound was the familiar hum of his body. Sundance sank into it for a while, shuttering her optics as memories of her sparkhood came filing through her processor.

When they'd go flying-exploring the untouched corners of base territory. They'd land, often followed by a story then a nap.

"Primus sparkling, I missed you."

Sundance lit her optics and blinked slowly. _Didn't he just...?_

"I miss our flights," He continued.

"Me too."

Another stretch of silence. Sundance was on the verge of falling into recharge when the big Seeker went rigid. It was then that she felt a subtle tug on her spark-the kind that told her one of her creators was close.

"Sundance!" Jolt called, a slight strain to his tone.

Sundance lifted her head and turned to glance out the door, "Dad?"

She yelped when Jetfire abruptly dropped her, "You blasted decepticons! I _dare _you to show your worthless afts! Prepare to meet your end!"

_What the hell? _Sundance pushed herself up as Jetfire got back to his feet shakily, snatching up his cane, "Jetfire! What are you-"

"I am _Jetfire! _You will suffer in flame and-" A piece of armor on his aft shuddered loose then dropped to the ground with a quiet groan, "BOLLOCKS!"

Sundance ran to him when his legs started to shake harder. She stood up on her rear legs and wrapped her claws carefully around his sides to keep him upright when he started to fall, "Jetfire, slow down! It's just!"

"Damn these blasted-YOU!"

Jolt stuck his head inside, optics growing comically round when another piece of Jetfire's body broke off. Sundance cut him a look, "Dad! You're freaking him out! Go away!"

"You can't run from Jetfire's wrath!"

Jolt's expression turned to one of confusion. He focused on her and reached for her through their bond, _'So you know that he's...?'_

_'That the lights are on but nobodies home?'_

Jolt cut her a look. Sundance vented, stretching her toe claws and plunging them into the earth to stay steady as she held the old Seeker back from going over there and ripping her mech creator a new one. _'Jetfire remembers me. I'll be fine, I promise! But I don't think he remembers anyone else. He thinks you're-'_

_'A decepticon.'_

_'I guess that was obvious, huh?' _Sundance readjusted her hold on Jetfire when he started to pull harder, still spouting insults and curses as he vainly tried to reach Jolt. _'He was fine until he sensed you. You're upsetting him.'_

She sent him a meaningful look that he understood. Slowly, he nodded, and with a quick squeeze to her spark, left.

"Come back here you coward!" Jetfire shouted, "I'm not done with you yet!"

Sundance waited until the roar of Jolt's engine faded before letting him go. Jetfire stumbled forward, caught his balance, and charged out of the hangar waving his cane like it was some lethal weapon.

Sundance shook and grumbled, "_Primus._"

* * *

><p><strong>So Brandon has joined the Hunters. Makes me wonder what they'll try now-bot-napping and assassination didn't work. What's next?<strong>

**I love Jetfire's reaction to Sundance when he realized she's not a memory of a figment of his imagination...and I can't tell you how fun it was to write him as the crazy old bot he was in TF2 there for a moment. Jetfire is full of amazing win, I swear. **

**And I have the strange urge to write a tragedy...hmm...**

**Much love, I hope you enjoyed the update. **

**Sundance, Bry, Brandon, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Human."

_God, please go away you overgrown non-organic lizard! Geez! _Ash huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face as the behemoth's shadow fell over her.

The rumbling growl came again, although a little more forceful, _"Human."_

Ash didn't even look at the big bastard-she stretched her arms above her head and started talking to herself, "I wonder what moms doing?"

Pockets, who was seated across from her in the human cafeteria, cast a wary glance behind her, "Worrying about you, I'm sure."

Ash waved him off, "Mom doesn't even know I'm here."

His attention snapped back to her. He raised a red eye brow, "You didn't tell her?"

"I just told her that I was staying at a friend's house for a few days and that I'd catch up on school when I got home."

"And she let you go that easy, huh?"

Ash shrugged, "Not everyone's a tight-ass, Uncle P."

Pockets rolled his eyes. Ash raised her fork and shook it at him, "Don't give me that look, old man."

"_Old!_"

Ash grinned at his reaction. Pockets shot her a glare that could rival his mom's, "I am _not _that old."

"I don't know..." Ash rolled her eyes heavenward in an innocent manner. The look he gave her had her laughing.

"You will answer me when I call you, _human_." The voice snarled behind her. The floor abruptly shook so hard that Pokets' tray left the table and hovered in the air for a second. He managed to grab his glass before it went airborne. His glare turned to the towering being.

"We have names, _robot,_" Ash snapped.

"You woke Rose!" Pockets growled when his daughter lifted cloudy green eyes.

Ash finally turned to give the big ass dinosaur what for, finding herself face-to-face with a big pair of ice cold eyes and a mouth full of teeth that were as big as her body. She said, "Listen here, short-stack, if you want any respect-"

He snarled, "Where is the femme?"

Ash blinked, "What?"

"Where is she?" He repeated after a heavy vent.

Pockets blinked, "Sundance?"

"Yes."

Ash looked back at her uncle with wide eyes, finding the same expression on his face. He asked, "Why are you looking for her?"

"I don't need to explain my reasons to a lower creature."

"...You do realize that her dad is here, right?" Pockets explained slowly.

Grimlock snarled, "I don't see how that relates to her."

"In other words," Ash said flatly, "if Jolt catches you messing with his little girl, he'll electrocute the shit out of your big rumbling ass."

The big dinosaur tilted his head slightly before he smirked, "He could do nothing to me."

"Jolt was the mech that offlined Devastator," Pockets informed, "you're a big guy, I'll give you that, but Devastator could have stepped on your ass and left you flatter than a pancake."

He lifted an arm when Rose slid over to his side with a lazy yawn, leaning against him. He curled his arm around her to keep her from slipping off then looked at Ash, "You think she's still looking for Jetfire?"

Ash turned away from Grimlock and nodded at him, "Probably. I think she's been looking forward to seeing him this whole time. He's like her hero, isn't he?"

"You could say that."

Grimlock snarled insults low in his throat and stomped out of the cafeteria. Pockets clamped his hand down on his tray this time, only to have his cafeteria burger flop up and down. He rolled his eyes.

"Fucking dinosaur..." Ash muttered under her breath.

* * *

><p>"Megatron has fallen," Darkfire rumbled with a shake of her great body. Bloodstar watched as her sister's massive black plates of armor slid over her even thicker body like loose skin, like they weren't attached properly. Bloodstar knew better, though. She'd never seen a mech, decepticon or autobot, get past her sister's armor.<p>

"We never listened to him anyway," Havoc hissed, shifting her wings.

Bloodstar turned her attention to the smallest of their trine, amusement shining in her optics when Darkfire snapped her jaws shut audibly, "_YOU_ never listened to him!"

The smaller femme rolled her scarlet optics, "He was a moron. What other could spend most of his life raising a weapon only to have it turn against him in the end? If he wasn't strong enough to control Demona, then he wasn't fit to lead an army."

Darkfire uncoiled with a roar.

Havoc, less than half the black dragon's size, stood her ground fearlessly. They all knew that she was the fastest of their trinity, and could launch before their processors could even register what she was doing. She was built for speed, with long, thin limbs. She was the only one that had no arms in this form-rather they had transformed into her wings. She seemed to balance herself on her toes, like she was ready to shove off into the air. The sunlight left sharp high-lights in her silver armor.

"How dare you!" Darkfire spat, "Demona would still be on our side if that blasted Prime hadn't corrupted her!"

Bloodstar cut in, voice soft but effectively shutting them up, "I heard it was a human that won the Daughter's spark."

Both turned their heads to her, optics wide with disbelief. Bloodstar played the bored act, picking at the claws of one hand and optics half shuttered, "No mech took her away from Megatron's side. No bot. Just a fragile organic creature."

_"Frag..._" Darkfire whispered, "A bloody _human?_"

"That's what I said, sister," Bloodstar hummed softly, turning her claws over to admire the gleam along the serrated edges, "do you want to hear something _real _shocking?"

Havoc slid forward a few steps, "Speak, Blood."

"Skywarp says that she was the one that murdered Starscream."

Again, the stared. Havoc cocked her head to one side, "But Starscream..."

"Starscream was a master at aerial combat," Darkfire rumbled, "a great strategist. He was a whiny little pest, but Megatron kept him as his second all this time for a _reason."_

Havoc glanced at her before returning her attention to Bloodstar, "Starscream is offline?"

"The only remaining member of that trine is Skywarp. Thundercracker was battling the autobots when he was blasted to the pits, beyond saving. Demona shredded through Starscream like he was nothing when he made the mistake of going after a sparkling. Only Skywarp remains of the mech seekers. Those on earth, anyway."

"When did you meet him?"

"Yesterday." Bloodstar focused on Havoc as the smaller turned away, looking up at the sky. Darkfire started mumbling about something, but she ignored it. Instead, she called, "I forgot that you and Starscream were...close, Havoc. My...condolences"

Havoc shot her a look packed with warning, but said nothing.

Darkfire raised an optic ridge, "Admit it. You always wanted to frag that coward."

Havoc hissed, crouching down before pushing off the earth. She ascended rapidly. Bloodstar watched her go before smacking her sister in the shoulder with her tail, "You and I both know that it runs deeper than a 'good time'."

Darkfire twitched, "Obviously not deep enough, or else they'd be spark mates."

Bloodstar shook her head, "You have a lot to learn, sister."

She snorted and shifted subjects, "The autobots still have no clue that we've landed. What are our plans?"

"The most deadly decepticons are the ones that know patience. We wait and watch, when the time is right, we will make our presence known."

Darkfire grunted, "I'm starving."

"Go find some humans."

"They can't sustain us. We need energon."

"Someday soon we will once again bathe in the pools of our enemies' energon. We will drink our fill...until then, we will take the small comfort offered by the organics."

Darkfire turned to lumber off. She paused when Bloodstar called, "And sister, please try not to leave a mess like before."

* * *

><p><strong>Annd...Grimlock gets a piece of attitude from Ash...he just might have to get used to it. <strong>

**Also, we see the trine and get to know them a little more...strange how each one is so different. Darkfire, the loyal, battle-hardened soldier. Havoc, the rebellious and apparently love-struck girl. Then there's Bloodstar...not quite sure how to describe her, yet. Manipulative, savage, and beautiful all come to mind when I think of her...**

**The random little twist of a possible romance between Havoc and Starscream sounds like fun. I'd like to know the full story of that someday...**

**Much love. **

**Sundance and her family/friends and the dragon trine and the story all belong to me. Transformers does not. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Sundance swung around slowly and placed a clawed hand on the packed dirt, bright red optics focusing on Jetfire as he recharged peacefully in the far corner. She vented softly and whispered, "Sweet dreams."

It had taken hours for the old Seeker to calm down and fall into recharge, and she hadn't left his side for a second that entire time. Her spark squeezed painfully in her chest as she scanned over his old rusted armor and his shuddering frame. _Primus, he's older..._

She shuttered her optics when an image of her mimi passed through her processor.

_Everyone's getting older._

Sundance turned away and walked outside. She started towards base on foot because she wanted to time alone to think-flying was where she often found answers she was searching for, but she didn't want to run the chance of bumping into Swoop or one of the aerial bots. Really, all she needed was to be alone.

_Everyone is dying._

Somewhere between Jetfire's hangar and base, she stopped and sat down. A soft wind raised the golden sand, creating a soft haze around her. She tilted her head down, studying her claws as she lifted a hand and flexed her lethal talons.

Sundance tried to ignore the subtle booms to shook the sands as Grimlock approached. She'd half expected him to find her-he always managed to, somehow. She sensed that he was back in beast mode, hulking body lumbering towards her. When he finally stopped, she waited for him to speak. Her armor stiffened, lip plates curling back in a small snarl, prepared to defend herself if he started his crap up again.

But the massive mech said nothing.

He simply stood there-his shadow falling over her and cooling her armor. His cold ice-like optics stayed focused on her, like he was trying to burn holes through her or something.

"How many friends have you had to bury, Grimlock?" Sundance asked softly after a moment.

"I have no friends," Grimlock rumbled back, "a king needs nothing but his soldiers."

She rolled her optics, sitting up a little straighter and lifting her optics to his, "I guess you were the wrong bot to ask."

He tilted his head slightly, staring harder.

"Why do you do it?" He blurted out after several seconds.

She squinted at him, "Do _what_?"

"Care for others."

_Are you serious? _Sundance snorted, a thick plume of black smoke leaving her mouth. Grimlock pushed on, "The seeker is old and useless. No one else cares for him. Why do you?"

"Because he is my _friend_."

"All he can do is slow us down in battle."

She stood up slowly, optics brightening, "You're such an ass."

He tilted his head the other way, optics dimming briefly as he looked up the word. She walked past him, "It doesn't matter how old he is, it doesn't matter if he can't fight anymore. He's still a mech with a beating spark. He is my _best_ friend, he always will be."

"He is offlining."

She stopped.

"Will he still be your...'best friend' when he's gone?"

She glanced back at him, "Yes."

He stepped towards her, "Friends mean nothing but pain. Why have them when you know they will always leave you?"

She shook her head and kept going, completely ignoring him as she sank back into her thoughts. _Big, dumb, and stupid. _She vented sharply, _I don't know how in the pit some aft-face like him made it through the war..._

"'I have no friends'!"She repeated in a ridiculous attempt at mimicking his deep growl, "'A king needs nothing but his soldiers'!"

The words were mumbled, but apparently the brute heard it. He upped the pace of his steps, catching up to her. He swung his body low in an almost comical way so he could eye her, "You are angry."

More smoke spilled through her sharp fangs. She huffed, "If you don't beat it, I'll-"

"Did you have to bury one of your 'friends'?"

Again, the femme froze, one foot still raised in the air. Briefly, flashes of energon-stained white armor and beautiful crimson optics flitted through her processor. She hadn't known Paradox as much as the others had, but she still thought of her often.

But the memories of Paradox left almost as soon as they came. Instead of her elegant, lean frame, Sundance saw the crippled body of a human. A woman by her long knotted hair and her broken soft flesh, dress ripped and black with dirt and soot. She was trembling, convulsing wildly every few minutes, organic optics wide open but unseeing. The rolling, warm red that glistened along her claws as she cradled her gently..._Primus, she's cold._

A light but insistent tug on her spark snapped her out of it. It was her mother, fingers wrapped carefully around her spark and filling it with steady strength. Demona didn't say anything-but she sent her feelings to Sundance.

"More than once," Sundance finally answered. Without waiting for a reply, she crouched low, opened her wings, and shoved off the air.

The winds whistled through her bladed feathers, and she soared.

* * *

><p>Ash blinked and held the phone away from her ear when her mom started up with the cursing and screaming.<p>

She sent Ratchet a glare, "I told you this was a shitty ass idea."

The autobot medic stared back evenly, blue optics narrowed. Ash couldn't help but compare his expression to the way her principle had looked when he'd caught her lighting toilet paper on fire in the staff bathroom.

"Your mother needs to know the _truth._"

Ash made a face and deepened her voice to make it sound manly, "She can't handle the truth!"

The big bot vented, "Primus, you are too much like that blasted father of yours."

Ash cut him a quick grin before putting the phone back to her ear. Shark had finally stopped screaming, probably to take a breath, so Ash put in real quick, "Ratchet says hi."

She waited for a few seconds, counting in her head. She looked back at Pockets who was busy trying to talk to _his _mom on the other side of the berth, one finger plugged in his open ear so he could hear above shark's 'scolding'.

_"What?" _Her mother finally said, sounding genuinely shocked.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, didn't I?" Ash said, looking at her nails like she was bored, "After Aunt Dem scared the shit out of that bastard, the autobots gave us a free ride to your _favorite _place. I lied when I said I was at Jennas-I'm really at the autobot base mom! Surrounded by giant metal men and explosives! Oh, and did I mention the big ass dinosaurs roaming around? Just like Jurassic Park but without the big protective fences!"

_Wait for it..._

Dead silence on the other end. Ash held up her fingers, putting one down in a silent count down for Ratchet to see. _Three__._

_Two._

_One. _She held the phone as far away from her ear as she possibly could, but they could all still hear it loud and clear.

_"WHAT THE FUCK!"_

"Bye mom! Be home soon!" Ash said cheerfully before snapping her phone shut. She raised an eyebrow at the medic, "Are you happy now?"

"I will be when you get the pit out of my med bay," He grumbled, "I'm suffering flashbacks from the last time your creator was in here."

She grinned widely at him, "Before or after he blew the roof off?"

Ratchet sent her a narrowed eyed look while the doors slid open. They all turned to Ironhide stepped inside and grumbled, "Optimus is calling a meeting."

Pockets lowered his cell phone, a look of concern on his face, "What for?"

"The hunters are up to something," His frozen optics seemed to harden, "we need to act."

"It's about damn time," Ash hissed.

* * *

><p><strong>Sundance and her family belongs to me. Transformers and it's original characters do not.<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"They're on the move," Chromia hissed, "whats going to stop them from making another attempt at our sparklings? Now is the time to act, Optimus!"

Optimus raised a hand to press to his nose plate, shuttering his optics briefly as Ironhide voiced his agreement. Elita shifted forward, coming to stand at his side, "Patience, Chromia. We can't do anything to harm the humans."

"Fuck that," A new voice said with a snort. All optics turned down to the young human Ashlynn, strolling in with one hand raised to straighten out her hair. Her odd pale eyes were narrowed, wearing the expression he had seen on Rex's face several times in the past. Briefly, his processor wandered off topic. Where was Rex? He had been told that Ash was with her femme creator...but where did that leave her father?

She stopped in the middle of the room, followed by Ratchet, and continued, "What? We can protect _our _people from a different species, but you can't protect _yours_?" She cocked her hip out to one side and put a hand on it then, "Sounds like class A bullshit to me."

"I like this girl," Chromia muttered to Ironhide, who, like many of the others there, was studying the human.

"Are you suggesting we attack the hunters?" A curious young mech asked, crouching so that he could get a better look at her. He tilted his head, "Shouldn't you be trying to convince us otherwise?"

"Look, an ass is an ass no matter the species or culture. Those idiots in suits make it look like us humans are so damn perfect and innocent, but we're not. I think you should be aloud to protect your babies if someone comes at them, even if they're human."

"In some cases, protecting them means damaging the humans," Optimus said slowly.

Ash squinted up at him but didn't get a chance to say anything because it was then that Jolt stepped inside. The young medic announced, "Prime, we have a problem."

Optimus blinked, "Jolt, what's-"

"Humans are disappearing around the country, in large numbers."

Optimus tensed slightly while Ash whirled around and asked, "Decepticons?"

"Demona saw it on the news with Critter," Jolt kept going, "but so far there's been no sightings, at least not any the press knows about."

"Shockwave?" The same young mech asked.

"No way," Jazz started, speaking up for the first time since the beginning of the meeting, "we got so many optics turned on that fragger that if he so much as shows his ugly aft, we'll be on him like a bad case of rust."

"It's too quiet for Shockwave and Driller. Cyclonus and the others haven't been seen in years," Another chipped in, "who...?"

"There's been no new arrivals?" Optimus asked, looking at Jazz and Prowl.

Jazz shook his head while Prowl answered, "None. If there had been, you would be the first to know, Prime."

Ash blinked, "Sounds like another crazy ass killer. Were they all in the same area?"

Jolt shook his head, "They're scattered all over the United States."

"Well it's either a group thing or some seriously smooth decepticons. Is there any bodies left?"

"Not decepticons, we haven't detected any decepticon activity for a long time," Prowl once again chimed in.

Ash cut him a look before turning to another mech when he said, "I don't see how this is our 'problem', medic."

"It's our problem because..." Jolt hesitated, electric blue optics saddening. Optimus felt his spark squeeze in his chest, but waited for him to finish. Jolt turned his gaze to Ash, "Zachary John is among the missing."

Ash's pale eyes widened.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if the dialogue was confusing. Rex is in trouble again. :**

**Ash and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"...What?"

"Your father is missing," Jolt repeated, watching the girl's expressions carefully.

"That's...impossible," Ash lowered her eyes to the floor, lifting a hand to push through her straight blonde hair, "my dad doesn't just..."

"Has he called you or your mother recently?"

"Not for a few days, but that happens sometimes when he forgets to pay his bill or he loses his phone. Just because he doesn't call," she laughed nervously, "doesn't mean that he's _missing_." She blinked up at them, suddenly uncertain, "Right?"

Optimus knelt beside her, deep blue optics full of concern, "Ashlynn."

Ash turned to him. When their gazes met, he said, "Do you know where Rex lives?"

She had to refrain from saying 'duh, hell yes I do'. She nodded instead, trying to fight the fear that was rising up inside of her.

"One of the autobots will escort you there so you can check yourself," he paused to look up at his soldiers, like he was about to pick one. Ash saved him the trouble by saying in a clear tone that left no room for argument, "Sundance."

He lifted an optic ridge. It was the red mech Sideswipe who stepped forward and said, "I get that you two are friends and all, but...she doesn't exactly have the best disguise."

Ash snorted, remembering all the times the big red dragon had cloaked herself in the shadows and scared the shit out of her throughout her life, "Trust me, she's got the hiding bit down to a T. Just because she's a big ass dragon doesn't mean she can't blend like a ninja."

"Why Sundance?" Jolt asked. She had a feeling he already knew why, but she answered anyway.

"Because Sundance is the fastest damn robot here," Ash said, "She can fly me there and back in a night."

"I highly doubt that a _femme _is the fastest aerial bot here," The robot shaped like a pterodactyl scoffed, holding his head up high, "if speed is what you want, _I'm _your bot."

Ash's eye twitched. Anger filled her. She straightened up and put her hands on her hips, "Well look what we have here! Even autobots can be sexist!" She narrowed her eyes at him, "Um, no offense, _Petry_, but...one, you haven't even been here long enough to _see _Sunny in action, and _two, _she's been flying me around for as long as I can remember, so I actually trust her, thank you."

Ash turned to Jolt, "Where is that daughter of yours anyway?"

"With jetfire," He answered.

Ash blinked, "Still? It's been hours!"

"Are you sure, Ash?" Optimus asked, snatching her attention again. She spun back to him.

"I'm pretty sure...I just gotta find her first..." Ash muttered the last part, stalking out of the room in her search for the dragon.

She didn't have to look far. Sundance just happened to be walking into the base that moment and was in sight. Ash sighed with relief-_Thank God I don't have to search this whole freaking place..._

She started towards her, "Sundance!"

The dragon snapped to attention, freezing with one clawed hand still raised almost elegantly in the air. Her red optics scanned over the hall before landing on the human girl. She tilted her head to one side curiously, "Ash?"

"I need you to do me a favor," Ash said, running up to her. Sundance placed all four feet on the ground and sat, giving her full attention. Ash smiled half heartedly, "Jolt thinks my dad is in trouble. He's...disappeared."

Understanding filled the dragon's optics. In one graceful motion, she dropped down to lay on her belly, "Uncle Rex...he always gets himself into _some _kind of trouble."

Ash climbed up easily, settling on a plate on Sundance's back that _didn't _have sharp edges or spikes. She lifted her arms and blinked when seat-belt like straps slid out from beneath the plate and wrapped around her waist, locking her down securely.

"We'll find him," Sundance promised, standing again. Ash glanced down, pushing a hand through her hair.

She hoped like hell the dragon was right.

* * *

><p><strong>A lame short chapter. It's been a while, sorry.<strong>

**Sundance, Ash, their family and the story belongs to me. TRansformers does not.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

If there was one thing Ash would never get used to, it was flying.

She was pressed down to Sundance's plated shoulders and back, wrapped so tight around her armor that her knuckles were white. Sundance shot through the air with hardly any resistance, massive wings stretched out and angled to ride the winds. She would shift every few seconds, to pick up speed or change direction.

Neither of them had said much since they'd left base. Ash had spoken just enough to tell Sundance where her dad lived, before falling deep into her thoughts.

Now all that could be heard was the sound of cold air whistling through Sundance's feathers.

_He can't be missing. _

_Ash clo_sed her eyes, leaning down until her cheek was pressed against the dragon's warm armor. She tightened her hold on Sundance. The damn robot was suddenly the only thing keeping her sane, the only thing holding her together.

There was no way that her dad could be gone. Missing, dead, whatever. There was just no way. All her life, he had been there. Not always in sight, but he'd always been there when she needed to talk to him, or when she needed to get away from her mom for a weekend. He'd never missed a birthday. He'd always find some way to come see her for every holiday, even the stupid ones like Halloween or valentines day.

He couldn't possibly be missing.

"If I was human," Sundance said, yanking her out of her thoughts, "I wouldn't have any feeling in my back."

Ash blinked at her, catching the crimson glow of her eyes when she tilted her head to glance back. It took her a minute to realize that Sundance was talking about her death-grip on her armor. Ash glared, readjusting her hold, "Shut up, Sunny."

"We'll find him."

Again, Ash blinked. Sundance was staring forward again, "Uncle Rex gets into trouble all the time, but he always pulls through. He always comes back to us."

She abruptly tilted her body up, arcing her long neck down to scan the earth. She added before Ash could say anything, "I see the house and that piece of crap pinto in the yard."

Ash glanced down, raising an eyebrow when she see anything but fog and darkness, "I need to get me some glasses or something because I can't see shit."

Sundance seemed to hover, beating her wings slowly as she simply floated there. She kept looking down, like she was watching something. Ash leaned forward, squinting, "What are you looking at, Sunny?"

"There's someone here," Sundance answered. She swung her head around to look at Ash, "I don't recognize them. I thought uncle Rex didn't have any friends."

"He doesn't," Ash muttered, "You guys are the only ones he doesn't freak out."

"I can't land," Sundance told her, "you're going to have to jump."

"WHAT!" Ash sho_t up, "You're fucking crazy!_ Damn, you've done fried your own brains out with all that fire breathing, Sundance! There's no way in hell I'm jumping off your back from this high in the air!"

Sundance snorted and abruptly arced her body and dove down. Ash clamped her jaws shut to keep from screaming and held on for dear life, feeling the straps around her waist tighten in response. The wind rushed past with so much force it felt like her face would tear right off. She screwed her eyes shut and hunkered down. _I swear I'm going to beat the crap out of her when this is all over._

_Ash jus_t about had a heart attack when she felt the straps securing her to Sundance's back loosen then disappear altogether. She felt the dragon turn upside down, and then, _damn it all, _her armored plates shifted and shuddered until Ash lost her grip and went tumbling down.

"SUNDANCE!" She snapped, opening her eyes to glare at the dragon, but she was already out of sight.

She was twisting her body when she smacked into the old trampoline her dad had salvaged from Gears' junkyard and bounced right off to hit the grass with an 'OOMPH.'

It took a few minutes before she could actually get over the shock of what had just happened, but she slowly rolled over and pushed herself up, cursing her best friend the entire way. After taking time to make sure nothing was broken or sprained, she started off towards the old beat down house.

Her heart eased when she realized that more than one of the lights inside was on, and she could even see someone's shadow on one of the walls. Ash walked around the house to the front door and raised a hand to knock.

Before she could, the door opened. Ash smiled with relief, expecting it to be her dad. She opened her mouth to start picking on him for losing his phone again...

...And froze.

A girl a couple of years younger than her stood in the doorway, pretty little brown eyes wide with shock and one hand raised to push her perfect curls from her face. The shock melted from her face and she put on a snotty look. Her raised hand went to her hip, "Um, who are _you_?"

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, we left off with Ash asking Sundance to take her to Rex when Jolt said that he had gone missing. They found the house, but not Rex. Just this random snotty little girl. <strong>

**Back in business...Trying to catch up on everything. **

**Sorry, just been having a really hard time lately. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Much love.**

**Sundance and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

_What...why is there a girl...Ash sna_pped out of it with a little shake and glared right back, "My dad lives here. What are _you _doing here?"

The stranger blinked, then raked her eyes up and down Ash's tall, lean body. She blinked again, "You're Ashlynn?"

"It's _Ash, _and _yes, _I am." Ash shifted forward to push her out of the way when a second voice called out from the living room.

"Alice, sweetie? Who is it?"

Ash's eyes widened. 'Alice' glanced over her shoulder to yell back, but Ash interrupted her, shoving her back and out of her way.

Alice glared at her and smacked her arm off, "You're freaking rude!"

Ash ignored her, stepping inside. Her pale eyes scanned the house-old wooden walls, the broken sofa, the old TV that was on a leaning stand she remembered putting together with her dad as a child.

...The tall, beautiful dark haired woman standing in the middle of the room that was all class in her slacks and heels and ruffled blouse. Dangle earrings, rings on perfect, pale fingers. Flawless make up.

Everything Ash and her mother wasn't.

Ash hid her hands behind her back, suddenly self conscious of the callouses and little scars on them. Her fingers curled into fists when the woman raised a delicate eyebrow, "May I ask who you are?"

Alice went over to stand by her mother, a little freaking clone of her, and crossed her arms, "You can't just barge into this house like that."

"Um, excuse me, but I grew up in this house!" Ash snapped, "I can barge in if I damn want to! Last time I checked, _you_ didn't, so why the _hell _are you _here_!"

The woman's eyes widened slightly. Her daughter scowled.

Ash tensed, feeling the tiniest bit of relief when the ground trembled ever so slightly beneath them, alerting her that Sundance had landed.

"You must be Ash," The woman said softly, eyes softening. She smiled sweetly and took a step closer, "I'm Claire, this is my daughter Alice."

Ash didn't say anything. She just watched, waiting for them to explain themselves.

Claire took another step, "I've heard so much about you from Zachary, he adores you."

_Zachary? She just..._ Ash narrowed her eyes, brain pulling at a thousand different questions. Who was she? Where did she come from? Why the hell were they here? What did they have to do with her father? And why the _hell _was this fancy-ass woman calling her dad by his full, _real _name?

"I was wondering when I'd get to meet you," Claire kept going, "your mother, too. Raelyn sounds like quite the character-"

"Shut up."

Again, Claire blinked, "Pardon?"

Ash's voice was dangerously low, a growl, "Get out."

Claire tilted her head and moved closer. Alice looked back and forth between them and followed her mom like she was ready to jump forward and defend her if Ash decided to attack.

It was then Ash's dad walked in, skinny and blonde, with a big stupid grin on his face that she had known her entire life. He said, "I can't hardly hear myself think in there, girls! What's going...on..." He stopped halfway to the pair when his deep brown eyes landed on Ash.

He just stared at her for a long time, mouth opening and closing like a stupid fish. Ash crossed her arms over her chest, still keeping her scarred hands hidden, "Hi, daddy. It's been a while."

The shock left his face, replaced by a rare soft smile. He started forward, walking quickly to reach her. Half of Ash wanted to run. To just go outside, find Sundance, and get the hell out. The other half, the stubborn part she'd gotten from her mother, told her to stand her ground.

When Rex reached her, he threw his long skinny arms around her. He squeezed her tight, surprisingly strong for someone that was thinner than she was. After a moment, she raised her arms and hugged him back, pressing her face into his chest and closing her eyes.

"Hi, baby!" He said, completely thrilled to see her, "How's my girl?"

"Worried sick," Ash snapped. She lifted her face to glare at him but didn't let go, "Where the hell have you been?"

"Home," He said, looking down at her. He picked at a pin-straight strand of blonde hair. He abruptly put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back to look over her, "Damn, you're getting tall! I thought I told you to stop growing!"

She brushed one of his hands off, "So you've just been sitting around here?"

"Yeah, I quit my job last week. I've been trying to fix things up around the house."

"Why the hell haven't you called?" Ash started, "You've got everyone at home thinking that you fell off the face of the planet!"

He raised a hand and pushed it through his messy blonde hair, a big stupid grin filling his face, "Well, I uh, dropped it in the toilet."

"You..." Ash stopped and blinked when it registered what he just said. She put her hands on her hips, "You dropped your phone in the toilet?"

"Yeah."

"Oh dear God..." Ash huffed, then poked him in the chest, "get a new one. If I have to come down here again I'm gonna come swingin'."

He laughed, "God I missed you."

Ash poked him again, raising an eyebrow, "I missed you, too, but don't pull this stunt again." She paused when she spotted Claire sneaking up behind her dad, most likely to stick her pretty little nose in their conversation, and asked, "Who the hell are these people?"

Rex tensed, his dumb grin fading a bit. His brown eyes seemed to turn darker, and Ash knew.

Before he could explain, she took a step back, "So you're just going to replace us."

"No, Ash-"

"I would never dream of replacing your mother," Claire spoke up, butting in. Ash snapped a glare packed with warning at her, but turned back to her father.

Rex sent the woman a sharp look as well but, to Ash's surprise, didn't say anything to her. Instead, he looked back at Ash, "It's not what it looks like."

"I don't know," Ash crossed her arms again, "usually if something smells like shit, it is shit."

"Could you _please _stop acting like you run this place!" Alice finally snapped, "I don't care if you're his daughter, you can't just come stomping through here like some boss and talk to him like that!"

"Could you please _shut up_!" Ash exploded, turning on the girl, "Look here, _princess, _you don't know _crap _about who my dad is, or who I am! So just shut up and butt out before I get pissed off and put you in a trash can and roll you down the damn hill!"

Claire's mouth opened in a perfect 'O'. She squared up, "Don't you DARE-"

"And you!" Ash turned on her next, "if my mom ever caught you calling her by her real name, she'd punch you in the throat! Only _one _person is allowed to call her that!"

"Ash," Rex tried. Ash cut him off, still railing on the woman, "I don't give a flying goat's ass who you are, don't stick your perfectly straight nose in my family's business! Trust me, woman, you don't belong here!"

"Why I never!" Claire puffed up, "Zachary, you-"

"His name is _REX!_" Ash shouted.

The house fell painfully silent for a few minutes. Claire stood there with wide eyes and a wide open mouth. Alice was right beside her, wearing the same expression. Ash's dad was pushing a hand through his hair again, eyes lowered.

After another moment of quiet, Rex cleared his throat and said, tone serious, "Claire, I think it's time for you to leave."

Without saying a word, the woman yanked her eighty dollar purse off the couch and strolled out with her head held high. Alice followed her example like a loyal dog. The second the door was shut behind them, Ash tilted her head at her dad and motioned towards the door, "What the hell, dad?"

"She's just a friend," Rex started, "I have no interest in her-"

"Then why the hell are you two on a first name basis?"

He sighed, "She's convinced that we have a," he paused to make quotations marks with his fingers, "'connection'. I don't know what the hell she's talking about."

"Really, now?"

He turned away from her to flop over on the couch, "Don't give me that, Ash. You know that I'm still in love with your mom, I couldn't love anyone as much as I love my Rae-Rae."

"So you're _just _friends?"

"Yes."

She raised an eyebrow, "Are you _sure?_"

He cut her a look. Ash rolled her eyes, "Well you better find a phone and check in with everyone. Believe it or not, moms been worried. So has Mimi and the others."

He smiled, "She has, huh?" His smile faded and he sat up when he took in the rest of her words. "Gears...How is she?"

She bit her lip, "Not good, daddy. Uncle P says she's getting a little worse every day."

He pressed a hand to his face it drug it down tiredly, "Damn it all..."

"I'm going."

He bounced back up to his feet and ran over, hugging her again. He grinned at her, "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too. And for God's sake, get another phone and take care of yourself." Ash waited for him to let her go so she could leave, but he held on. She blinked slowly, "Um, Dad..."

"I missed you so much," He started, "I wish we were closer so I could see you more."

"Me too."

He slowly lowered his arms. Ash poked him in the chest again, although a little more gently, "Call me as soon as you get a new phone."

"I promise," He said with another grin as he walked with her outside. He looked around, blinking, "Where's your ride?"

Ash tilted her head, pulling her hair behind her ear so she could hear better. She grinned wide at him when she heard the soft rustle of Sundance's feathers. She stepped out into the yard, "Right here."

He gave her a crazy look before nearly falling on his ass with a yelp when all fourty-one foot of Sundance's red body dropped to the ground. Sundance blew smoke out of her nostrils like some bad ass beast right out of a Tolkien novel, and grinned down at him, showing off every black tooth.

"HOLY SHIT-HELL-CRAP!" Rex shouted.

Ash laughed. Sundance smiled.

Rex popped back up to his feet and was reaching for Ash to yank her inside when Sundance greeted, "Long time no see, uncle Rex."

He froze, eyes wide, "S...Sundance?"

Sundance lowered her head and carefully touched her warm nose to Rex's chest, staring at him with huge, glowing red eyes.

"You...What the _fuck _have they been feeding you? You're HUGE!"

Sundance laughed, "Mom says it's something I get from Megatron and Optimus," she said, "my wings are bigger than Jetfire's now."

He wiped a hand down his face before leaning closer and squinting at her face, "Damn, girl, I believe it...I bet Flash is big too, now."

"In his second frame, and my youngest brother is just now running," Sundance added, "have you met him?"

"Just once. Backlash, right?"

Her grin turned into a soft smile, "That's his name."

He smiled back, "I really need to just come visit you guys. It's been too freakin' long since we got together."

"Mom and mimi thinks so, too." Sundance raised her head again, turning to Ash, "Dad wants us home soon. Are you ready?"

"Yep," Ash walked towards her and hauled her ass up when Sundance laid down. She sat down on her back, tensing when the straps slipped around her waist and anchored her down. She watched as Sundance turned back to Rex and pressed her face into his chest again.

Sundance said softly, "I miss you, uncle Rex."

"I miss you, too, girl," He wrapped an arm around her, squeezed, then stepped back. He gave her a sharp look, "you take care of my baby, okay?"

"I swear it," Sundance said softly. She lifted her head and turned away. Ash glanced back at her father one more time before turning forward, bracing herself as the dragon rolled forward and shoved off into the air.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for a late update. I was out of town for like a week. <strong>

**Anyway, getting to the chapter. We finally see Rex again, although we still have NO idea of what happened between him and Shark. You guys don't, anyway. Also, later in the chapter, we finally learn the name of Demona's youngest son-Backlash. I'm hoping that we'll be seeing him in this story, as well as Shark eventually. **

**I was kind of disappointed with this chapter. It doesn't seem right, but I've been jacking with it for two days and it's beginning to give me a big headache. **

**I'm going to try to update my series of one shots 'Reflections' and my newest project, 'Hellhounds' later today. **

**Much love. **

**Sundance, her family, Claire, Alice, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"Who were his visitors?" Sundance asked, gliding through the air effortlessly.

Ash rubbed at her bare arms, regretting that she didn't pause long enough back at base to snatch her jacket. She narrowed her eyes, anger filling her at the though of the woman, "Some bitch and her princess demon spawn that's convinced dad has a crush on her. God, you should have seen her! She was walking around in her little pointy heels like she was already moved in! And get this, that dumb ho was already calling him 'Zachary'!"

She felt the dragon jolt slightly beneath her in shock.

Sundance tilted her head just enough to glance back, fixing one big red eye on Ash, "And he didn't set her straight?"

"No, he was completely fine with it. He says he has no interest in her-but..."

"There must be something," Sundance finished softly. She turned her face forward and shifted her wings, the motion rolling through the cables and wiring beneath the armor of her back. Ash shivered, rubbing at her arms faster.

"I hate them sometimes."

"Who?"

"Mom and dad."

Again, the dragon tensed up. She started, "Ash, they-"

"Do you know what they split up over?" Ash cut her off, glaring at the dark sky all around them, "Me. I got nosy one day and got into mom's stuff, and found all kinds of shit that would put her ass in jail if anyone ever heard about it. I showed some things to dad when I couldn't figure out what they meant, and he just about lost his mind, blew up at mom over it. And she dumped him because she couldn't handle it. She packed all over her stuff up, grabbed me, and left in the middle of the night. And she never looked back."

"I thought...they split because someone attacked the house."

"Yeah, after mom moved out. Someone attacked dad at the house, thinking she'd be there, and that's when she moved as far away as she could and just cut him off."

Ash paused, sucking in a cold breath of air. She shivered harder, "I hate myself, too. I hate mom for living the life she did, I hate dad for freaking out over it. I hate myself for bringing it all out and making my family hate each other. It's always been my fault-" Ash cut herself off with a scream when the dragon abruptly pulled her wings in tight against her body and plunged downwards. She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her fingers around Sundance's warm armor tightly.

Moments later they hit the ground hard enough to make it quake. The jolt had Ash breathless, hand flying to her abdomen as she tried to find her stomach again. Her eyes flew open and she opened her mouth to explode, rage filling her. "Sundance, what the HELL were you THINKING!"

"Get off." The dragon rumbled. The tone of her voice had Ash freezing.

Ash's eyes widened again, staring down at the dragon's back. She lifted her arms as the seat belts snapped opened and vanished beneath the armor. She stuttered, "S-Sundance, what-"

The dragon snorted and suddenly charged forward a few steps. She whipped her head up and spread her jaws with the whir of spinning gears. The plates of armor around her neck lifted and rotated so fast they were a blur, and Ash literally _felt _the heat of the liquid fire rising inside the dragon's body. Seconds later a river of red flames poured from Sundance's open mouth, lighting up the night.

Ash watched as the fire stretched up, snuffing out the second Sundance snapped her jaws shut. Big wisps of smoke curled up from between Sundance's black teeth. Sundance stayed standing for a moment longer before slowly sitting down. Ash opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't think of anything.

Sundance spoke first, breaking the tense silence that followed her little outburst, "It was never your fault, Ash, and I swear to Primus or God or whoever, that if you ever pull that 'I hate' crap again I'll hang you by your toes over a cliff."

And Ash's attitude snapped back into place. She crossed her arms and glared at the back of Sundance's head, "And what the hell do you know, Sunny?"

To her surprise, Sundance's tone was softer now, "I know that Rex loved Shark with his entire heart and soul, years before you were even born. I know that, when you were born, he got the most ridiculous, huge, _real _smile. I know that Shark cried when you were born because you were the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen after a life of pain and hate. I know that you loved them both so much that you didn't care what people said about them, and I know that when they split up it nearly killed you."

Ash blinked, then sighed, "I don't see how that changes the-"

"It was your fault Rex smiled like that, and it was your fault that Shark cried," Sundance continued, "but it wasn't your fault that they broke apart."

Ash slowly leaned against the dragon, hugging herself as all of her anger drained out of her in one rush. She whispered, "but they didn't hate each other until I opened my stupid mouth."

"Rex and Shark will never hate each other," Sundance bent her neck to stare at Ash, "I've never seen a love so strong before, and sometimes I think it's all they left. They can't stop loving each other, Ash, even when they're on opposite ends of the country. It's impossible."

"Then why haven't they gotten back together yet? It's been years."

"Because they're both so freaking hard headed they don't see it yet." The dragon snorted.

Ash waited a few seconds, going back over their conversation in her head. She stretched an arm out and patted Sundance's armor, "You're a total ass sometimes, but I love you."

Sundance shifted, refolding her wings, "You wouldn't have gotten anywhere in your life without me."

"So true." Ash rolled her in the dark, tilting her head back to stare up at the black sky. It was a new moon tonight, so there was no light outside of the firelight from beneath Sundance's red armor and the glow of her fierce eyes, eyes that would scare the shit out of any normal human and even, from what she had seen these last few days, a couple of autobots. But she had never been afraid of Sundance, never.

She'd always somehow known that Sundance would be her support, that she would be there when no one else, not even her mom or dad, could.

Ash relaxed against Sundance's warm armor, "Thanks, Sunny."

Sundance hummed deep in her chest in content, also staring up at the sky. Ash let her eyes drift shut, exhaustion taking over as she slowly sank into sleep. A soft wind blew, tugging at her pale blonde hair. She whispered, "I wish we were still together, everything was easier then..."

The wind shifted, and Sundance went rigid.

Ash shot to attention when the dragon twisted with a low snarl that had her gut clenching. She sat up, scanning the darkness around them. Of course, she couldn't see _anything, _but she damn sure heard the voice that said, "Don't worry, girl, you will be after I put a bullet in all of your heads."

"Stand down, human!" Sundance warned.

"Easy, Brandon," Another voice soothed. Ash squinted, trying to see. It was then the bastards decided to turn the headlights of some kind of car on, brights and all. She slapped a hand over her eyes, "You freaking ass hats! Sundance! Incinerate them!"

She felt Sundance swing back a step, leaning from side to side as she moved her head back and forth to scan over them. After a second of being blind, Ash managed to blink it away before someone shouted, "You're outnumbered! Come quietly!"

More lights turned on from their left. Sundance hissed and coiled like a snake. The straps slid out and started to wrap around Ash's waist when the first shot was fired.

Ash fell forward when she felt something tear into her side. Her hand flew down to clench at the wound as a soft cry left her lips. She hit Sundance's armor and started to slide off. Sundance called for her, moving again. Ash kept falling. She tried to reach up and grab on to Sundance, to hold on, but she was suddenly too weak.

She hit the ground, and it was lights out.

Sundance's spark ached in her chest for Ash.

Even as long as she had known Ash and her parents, not once had their life been easy. Sundance hated how bad things turned out for them. She hated how Ash blamed herself for these things, and she hated how Shark wouldn't suck it up and go back to Rex. Ash was too young when they split, and she was still too young now.

Sundance let the silence sink in after their talk, feeling every movement the human made. Ash was leaning against her now, and Sundance could sense that she was falling to sleep.

Jolt pulled at Sundance's spark gently, once again reminding her that he wanted her home soon. And although she'd never been one to ignore her creators, Sundance wasn't quite ready to go back. There was those annoying little sparklings that liked to surprise her and bug her, and there was Jetfire, who she was sill at a loss over...and, of course, there was Grimlock. And Swoop.

_I can't wait to go home, _she thought, _I miss mom and Backlash...and mimi..._

Sundance let her friend rest, taking the moment to relax herself. She let her processor wander. Her uncle Pockets was healing nicely. Rose was as cute as ever. She hadn't seen Jo in a while, but she would like to soon. And then there was her uncle Critter, who she hadn't seen in months...

Ash whispered, "I wish we were still together, everything was easier then..." Sundance tilted her head to glance at her, half willing her to sleep. _You will be, _she silently promised, _someday._

The wind shifted, filling her nostrils with an entirely different scents. Her entire frame went rigid when she caught the scent of human flesh, of man and gun and car. Explosives. Danger.

Sundance twisted with a dark snarl, curling her claws and slamming them into the earth. Her glowing red optics narrowed, focusing on faces of a group of men that were standing around a vehicle just out of biting range. _FRAG! _She snarled in her thoughts. She swept her tail across the ground, defensive routines starting up with a kick as the energon blades hidden beneath her armor extended to create a lethal spade at the end of her tail.

She crouched low. One of the men called, a twisted grin on his face, "Don't worry, girl, you will be after I put a bullet in all of your heads."

Sundance hissed, feeling the liquid fire roll in her belly. She bared every black tooth to them, "Stand down, human!"

"Easy, Brandon," Another said with a smile, one she recognized. This was the one with cold eyes, the one that tried to hunt the sparklings. Ash started up with her insults as soon as she got over her shock.

More humans assembled at her other side. Sundance swung back from foot to foot, tail hovering in the air and poised to strike. Everyone raised their rifles, more men pouring out of the vehicles that were around them, vehicles she hadn't even noticed when she'd landed. She cursed herself, opening her wings to fly. She had to get out, she had to keep Ash safe.

"You're outnumbered! Come quietly!" The hunter with cold eyes shouted.

Sundance turned her optics on him, words forming in her vocal processor. She didn't get the chance to speak, because the man standing beside him, the one called 'Brandon', raised his weapon, aimed, and shot.

And Ash fell.

Sundance's spark clenched in her chest as the scent of fresh blood filled her olfactory senses. The girl was sliding off, unable to hold on. "ASH!" Sundance cried, twisting to catch her. The hunter shifted targets and fired again.

White hot agony flared up in Sundance's metal skull, going blind in one optic where the bulled penetrated. She swung her head and roared, smoke spilling out of her flared nostrils in thick clouds. Ash hit the ground beside her and Sundance automatically stepped over her, creating a living shield around her. She snapped her jaws shut with an audible snap and ducked her head down to take hold of the human girl and get the hell out.

"DON'T MOVE, _BEAST!_" Brandon shouted, "You've got eighteen rifles trained on that sweet piece of ass you're standing over! You better drop the attitude or she's dead!"

Sundance focused her last good optic on him, "I will make you _suffer_, _hunter_!"

"Hah! You can't do shit! You're as vulnerable as a newborn baby right now!" He scoffed, "good thing you big ass robots like us humans so much, gives me an advantage here."

Sundance stared him down, trying her hardest to light him on fire with the power of her glare. Through the intense pain in her eye, she could feel energon rolling down her face, taste it on her plated tongue. She considered following Ash's demand to light them all on fire-but they had her surrounded. There's no way she could hit all of them at once.

Sundance slid a clawed hand back far enough to touch Ash's body, realizing for the first time that Ash could easily die here.

She crouched lower and blew streams of fire through her nostrils, "What do you want, hunters!"

The man with cold eyes stepped forward, shouldering his fire arm. He started, "Listen up. You came onto _our _territory. This is something _you _caused. You're friend is bleeding out in the dirt, you wait any longer and she'll die. We've got trained medics on stand by waiting at base. Put those nasty claws up and come quietly, and you can save her."

Sundance went rigid.

She was vaguely aware of her creators and brothers tugging at her spark, demanding to know what happened. But she shoved it all back, ignored it. Instead, she listened.

Her audio receptors were turned into the beating of Ash's heart, rapid and almost awkward sounding. She was fading, and fast. Even if Sundance managed to successfully take off without any more injuries, she didn't know how long it would take her to get to the nearest hospital.

Slowly, Sundance loosened. She locked her jaws and showed her teeth, but put away the energon blades on her tail and stopped kneading the dirt with her claws. She stood still as the man leading them made a signal with his arm and a few guys cautiously trotted over. Sundance snarled at them, "She stays with me."

"Uh, uh, uh," Brandon laughed, "watch yourself, girl." He pointed his weapon at Ash.

Hating herself for it, Sundance let them drag Ash's body out from beneath her. The one with cold eyes ordered, "Jettison your wings."

"What!" Sundance snarled, "You-

"Don't play stupid, I know you can drop them when you need to, I've done my homework."

She stared at him, "You..."

"Do it!" Brandon ordered, once again pointing his weapon at the girl.

Sundance growled again, before shifting her weight and activating the right routines. With a subtle 'boom' and a round of clanks, her wings fell loose then hit the ground, her only chance of a quick escape gone.

"That's it," the alpha hunter said, "And one more thing..."

Before Sundance could bite out a sharp comment, Brandon swung around and shot out her other optic, leaving her with a massive processor-ache and completely blind. She fell back on her butt and pressed her clawed hands to her face, systems giving a low whine.

"Can't have you sending pictures and coordinates of our base to your friends, can we?"

Sundance drug her claws down the energon-stained plates of her face.

"Start walking, beast." Brandon snarled.

Sundance stood up, and started forward, following the sounds of their voices. _Primus help us..._

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if it's a little confusing, I was still writing this at like two in the morning so it's probably not as clean or clear as other updates. Anyway, much love, I hope you enjoyed.<strong>

**Sundance and her family, the Hunters, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Sundance kept her head high, carrying herself with the same grace she would around her superiors at base even if she was wounded. Her audio receptors were turned up, tuned into Ash's struggling body. She could smell the girl's blood, and it had her spark twisting in agony. She'd smelt her blood before, but never so much at one time. Her processor told her that Ash was losing too much of it, and it frightened her, more than any decepticon ever could.

Someone smacked their rifle against her claws, getting as close as they dared, "You better bring your head down, machine, or you'll get those big ass horns stuck."

Sundance hesitated before doing as told, lowering her horned head and treading forward carefully. Heavy doors were thrown open, and the texture beneath her feet shifted from rough earth to smooth concrete. They were inside now. Trapped.

Sundance snarled, when the same character that had shot her and Ash hit her, "This way, sweetheart. Follow the sound of my voice-"

"Don't _touch _me, human," She hissed.

"Tough talk for a bitch that can't see. Don't forget about your friend over there-she's getting worse every second you spend fighting."

"If she dies," Sundance swore, "her death will become your own. You _will _shed every ounce of blood that _she _does."

He shut up.

Sundance followed his footsteps, hearing whispers and shouts and hoots of onlookers as they went. The sound of Ash's heart grew further and further away, filling her with even more worry. _I should have taken off as soon as I smelled them-I put her in danger. She is hurt because of me. _

"Stop right here," Brandon ordered. Sundance reluctantly obeyed, daring to raise her head a few inches.

_'I'm coming for you,' _Her mother swore through their bond. Sundance leaned into her out of instinct, feeling the absolute rage coursing through her spark. At the same time, though, was fear and love. It was her love that wrapped around Sundance, giving her comfort.

Sundance realized that a few minutes had passed since the last human had spoken. There was footsteps-an entire pack of humans was walking around her. Only, they sounded off...like they were carrying extra weight. A sharp hiss reached her, and she tensed.

She jolted when a blast of unbelievably cold spray hit her in the chest. She pulled back immediately, but the substance seemed to cling to her armor, freezing into a thick layer of ice that bit down into her armor. Her spark spun faster, and she ripped away from her creator in her panic as another blast hit her in the abdomen. She could feel it literally crawling under her armor to freeze the sensitive wiring and cables beneath.

Other humans moved forward, and suddenly it was everywhere, like she had been dropped into a pool of freezing water in the middle of the arctic.

She struggled, squirming away and pulling back, but the ice traveled too fast. Someone poked some sort of hose into the joint of her rear left leg and sprayed. Sundance collapsed seconds after, screaming out in pain. Painfully, slowly, her systems began to freeze over. Bit by bit, her body shut down.

_'SUNDANCE!' _Her father yanked hard at her spark, but she could hardly feel it. She let her head fall on the floor, one last puff of black smoke leaving her nostrils.

_This is my fault._

* * *

><p>"Slow down, babe."<p>

Demona could barely hear the hoarse voice of her adopted mother over the roar of her own engine. She sat tense in her alternate form, entire frame shaking with rage and fear. How dare those pit-spawned fleshlings attack her creation! It was enough to make her want to rip and tear, to destroy like she used to as a sparkling when she was loyal to Megatron.

Prime was on the verge of all-out panic. He was desperately trying to calm her raging temper, before she snapped again. When he wasn't busy trying to claw at Sundance in an attempt to raise her again, Jolt was also trying to soothe her. But Demona wouldn't have it.

Her youngest creation was curled up in Gears' lap, red optics round and face plates slack. When her optics fell on him, love overwhelmed her rage for a breath before the anger came back full-force. Backlash made no sound and no movement, he simply stared. Inside their bond, however, she could sense him tentatively prodding. He understood _why _she was upset. He was upset, too, because only minutes ago he had felt his sister and her emotions, but now it was as if she were simply gone. He just didn't know why.

Gears moved, curling an arm around the tiny sparkling to set him down on the floor of her shop. Backlash stood up and stumbled over to Demona, who stopped her roaring long enough to pop open her door and let him climb inside. His perfect little hands gripped one of her seats and he pulled himself up.

Gears managed to unfold her crippled form, trying her hardest to straighten a back that had curled over recent years. She picked her way over, one hand raising to push her thick hair out of her face. Demona opened her drivers door this time, silently inviting the woman inside.

Gears put on a little smile, reaching out with one of her scarred hands to touch Demona's hood, "She'll be fine, Dem." She started to lean against Demona's body when her legs got tired. She paused long enough to take a breath, "I may not be able to see shit anymore, but I can picture her in my head, and she's beautiful and strong, like a female should be. Besides, _your _her mother, and you were _always _getting into trouble."

She slipped inside Demona's frame, not having to search with her hands to make sure she didn't hit her head or anything. Gears had been blind for several years now, and she had always been able to find Demona, even when she was in recharge on the other side of the shop. It was like that with Critter and Pockets, too.

Sometimes, Demona wondered if humans had bonds like Cybertronians did. She knew they didn't have sparks, but how else did Gears know?

"Now, wheres mimi's grandbaby?" Gears asked, opening her arms slowly.

Grinning, Backlash scrambled from his seat into her lap, curling up again. He wrapped a hand up in the woman's shirt.

Demona strapped them in and pulled out of the shop. She revved her engine before taking off, speeding towards base.

She hated that she couldn't go after Sundance right now, but the Hunters were spread out across the country, each one of them probably tuned into her family's home. She couldn't put them in danger by leaving them unprotected.

But as soon as they were safe at base, she would go to her daughter, and there would be hell to pay.

* * *

><p><strong>*Whistles* Mommas pissed. <strong>

**I'm back from six days of 'vacation' in Mississippi. It was great, but man I was worn out by the time we packed up to leave...and folks, I was on the road for fourteen plus hours on the trip home. I love Mississip, but it feels amazing to be back.**

**Anyway...I kinda feel bad doing that to Sundance, but I pulled Demona through worse before I finally gave her a happy ending. Also-one of the reasons why she froze over so fast is because she has very little cold-tolerance, as mentioned in earlier chapters. She was built to withstand the heat of her own flame, not this crap.**

**If you're lucky, I might toss in one more chapter tonight. I am desperately trying to grasp an idea for an update on 'Reflections', but I'm coming up blank. If any of you guys have an idea or a suggestion, I'm open. Just let me know if one of the characts said or mentioned something in one of the stories that you're curious about, and I'll write you a little story on it. The next chapter of 'Hell Hounds' is on it's way, though. I've still got a lot of work to do on it, but it's at least moving along.**

**I hope you enjoyed it, and I will see you soon! Much love!**

**Sundance and her family, the hunters, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"Jolt!" Optimus called as the young medic rushed past, moving as fast as his legs could carry him, "Mech, slow down!"

"Sundance has been taken!" Jolt shouted back, slowing down enough to turn sideways to look him in the optics, "The Hunters have her!"

"WHAT!" Ironhide roared, spinning away from his conversation with Chromia. Jazz was on his feet in half a second, "When?"

"A few minutes ago!" Jolt answered, "we need to go, _now!_" Then the mech was around the corner and gone, headed straight for the base exit.

"Optimus, we can't just-" Ironhide started.

Optimus interrupted, "Ironhide, Jazz, stay here and keep things in order."

"I hate to say it, but you'll be needin' some back up, Prime," Jazz said slowly, "those hunters are a han' ful."

"Demona is on her way now," Optimus explained, tone grave. He could still feel the burning wrath of his adopted creation, the way how it twisted and turned inside her spark. It worried him deeply. She hadn't been this enraged since...He cut his thoughts off, turning his processor on the femme's creation instead. "There won't be a need for back up when she arrives."

She was closer now, over half way to base. He could feel the pull of their bond strengthening with time. For a moment, he considered staying behind to wait for her. Then he remembered that Demona was still his fastest soldier, especially when one of her own was threatened. If anything, she'd pass them on the way to Sundance's aid.

So, he started forward, running with his long legs to catch up to the medic that was already folded down into his alternate and speeding through the doors.

* * *

><p>Grimlock lifted his massive head, cold optics narrowed as they fell upon the racing forms of Prime and the red femme's mech creator.<p>

He could feel the earth trembling beneath his splayed toes. A steady roar echoed across the sands, the sound of snarling engine that would put even Sunstreaker to shame. Beneath it, Grimlock could hear the deeper rumble of Prime's engine.

The smaller mech was in a panic, revving his engine and pushing his frame as hard as he could and almost leaving their superior behind. The king of the dinobots watched them vanish over the dunes, then tilted his head slightly when the wings of his smallest soldier flapped overhead.

Swoop came down in a perfect spiral to land, much to his disgust, on Grimlock's shoulders. Swoop locked his claws around the larger's thick armor, and said cheerfully, "You wouldn't believe what I just heard!"

"Speak," Grimlock rumbled.

"Our pretty little femme has been taken hostage," Swoop started nonchalantly, hunkering down when Grimlock straightened abruptly, "Easy, boss!"

Again, the beast turned his optics towards the mechs, although they were far away now. He clenched his jaws, massive dentals glinting in the light of the rising sun. His spark was tense in his chest, tight and angry. He couldn't explain why and he didn't quite care-all he knew was that someone needed to suffer, and that _she _needed to be safe.

He snarled, "Where."

Swoop shrugged, "Follow the others."

With a loud growl, the dinobot lunged forward. The ground shook beneath his steps as he charged, following the energon signatures of Prime and the blue medic.

Swoop spread his wings and let go, taking to the air. He flew abreast of Grimlock, easily keeping pace.

Grimlock opened his jaws and roared, his rage echoing across the sands. He swore in his spark-someone was going to die today.

* * *

><p>When Sundance woke, the first thing she was aware of was pain.<p>

A frame-deep, agonizing, _cold _pain. Easily worse than the time Starscream had torn through her when she was fresh into her second frame all those years ago. Her processor spun slowly, painfully, working to restart the rest of her body. Her internal clock told her that it had been _hours _since she'd fallen inside the Hunter's base.

She almost wished she'd stayed unconscious.

Sundance tried to online her optics, but nothing happened. Her face was numb, she could neither feel nor control the plates along her lips and around her optics. Then she remembered-that bastard Brandon had shot her blind.

Sundance let out a shuddering breath, feeling empty and shattered. She managed to move, and something cracked loudly, almost deafening. New alerts appeared in her processor. New wounds to add to the ones she already had.

"You're awake."

Sundance tensed at the voice, but made no effort to answer or even face him. She was simply too tired, simply in too much pain. So she laid there, completely defenseless. The Hunter's prey, when all a long she had believed herself to be a predator.

An unbearably hot hand passed over her face and she shied from it, managing to slide her head away a few inches with the screech of metal grinding over concrete. The man chuckled, "I see you've still got some life in you, beast."

She tried to form words in her vocal processor, but it, too, was frozen. Useless. Like the rest of her. _What...happened..._

"I hate to say it, but it's almost _painful_ seeing you like this. To think that you had scattered all of my trained men across the desert when you popped out of the ground like some demon right out of a nightmare, all strength and bite. Not anymore though. No, you're just as useless as that girl in the cell is. Just as broken. Just as fragile."

_You've made the worst mistake of your life._ Sundance wanted to tell him, _my mother might just peel you like an orange and eat you. Dad might, too, but mom gets creative when she's pissed off._

The hand was there again, this time on her chest, over her pale spark. It was the most uncomfortable feeling in the world, every inch of her screamed to pull back, to get up and move. She tried, tensing the cables and wiring in her legs to rise or even scoot over, but nothing seemed to respond to her.

"You know, you all could have avoided this if your leader had given us some of your technology. We're in great need of it, and when he refused to hand it over after we'd invited you to stay on our planet, he made a lot of enemies. I'm his worst."

She heard him move back. Other people walked around. Her spark squeezed, feeling small and dim in her chest. She finally managed to curl her claws, but they were stiff and slow to respond. She reached for the liquid fire inside, only to find it gone. Snuffed out.

Panic rose up inside her. On instinct, she tried to move her wings, to spread her feathers, but they were gone, also. And so was the call of the sky that usually sang in her spark.

Empty. She was empty.

And Primus, it was horrible.

She was jerked from her thoughts when some kind of machine in front of her came to life. Her panic grew, and she tried to move again, to pull away.

"Now I'm being forced to take the technology for myself. That's how you ended up here, dragon. Today, I learn your species' secrets, starting at the heart." He said, suddenly close to her face. He was whispering, right into her audios. She managed a small snarl.

The machine moved closer. Almost every human present pushed against her neck, pushing her head away from her chest. It was then that she realized-

It was a saw. A big saw. And it was coming right towards her chest.

Sundance jolted when she felt the serrated blade slice through the face of her chest armor. Through the frozen pain, a searing, white hot agony shot through her. The hands shifted from her throat to her head when her entire body managed to curl. Her jaws spread wide in a sheer cry. The saw fell back before pressing forward again, this time at a different angle, crisscrossing the first cut and penetrating deeper.

_'Hold on, Sundance!' _Her father shouted, taking firm hold of her frightened spark, _'we're on our way!' _Sundance screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed.<strong>

**Sundance and her family, the hunters, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Ash was stretched out on the cold, concrete floor when she woke.

A hand raised to gingerly press against the thick bandage on her side, where she knew a wide whole had been blown through her. Through the thick haze in her head, she remembered. She remembered Sundance taking her to check on her dad. She remembered Sundance lighting up the sky with her fire before talking some sense into her. She remembered Sundance tensing beneath her and whirling around with a snarl. She remembered lights, guns, men. _Lots_ of big, ugly men in hunting or military garb with _lots _of big, fancy guns.

A shot in the night, searing agony.

Ash opened her pale eyes slowly and blinked. Her entire body seemed to pulse with pain and exhaustion. Despite the pain and the wet blood she could feel seeping through the bandage, Ash sank her fingers into her side. She clenched her teeth, "Bastards..."

Her gut twisted when a sheer, penetrating cry echoed through the base, muffled by distance but somehow still deafening. Her eyes widened when it shifted from an actual scream to a mechanical screech that kept rising.

_Sundance._

She screwed her eyes shut and clenched her jaws. She hissed, "No..."

The screech then dropped, cutting off abruptly. Ash reached out with her other arm and clawed at the floor, dragging her weak body towards the iron door. The rational part of her told her to just give up, to accept defeat and go down easy. There was no way she was going to get out of here with a bullet in her side on her own. But then there was the John part of her, the piece she'd inherited from her father, that screamed to try anyway. To keep going.

Ash pulled herself closer. The pain was sharp and burning, like someone had stabbed her through with a hot fire poker. But she made herself move.

Sundance's screams never stopped, the sound of a creature that was literally being tortured to death. Her heart crushed every time she heard it. Ash didn't care if she was bleeding and possibly fatally wounded. She didn't care that she barely had the strength to stay conscious. She didn't care that they had no chance of escaping this place.

She absolutely _had_ to reach Sundance.

Ash tasted salt on her tongue, and realized for the first time that her face was wet with tears. Never in her life had she heard desperate, painful cries like this before. She'd never heard Sundance so much as whine out of pain before. The damn dragon always sucked it up and kept it inside, no matter how deep or wide her injuries were. She had always been so freaking strong...

Ash pulled forward another few inches, managing to make it within rich of the door when it slammed open, clipping her arm and nearly snapping it in half from the force. Ash yanked it back to her body, holding it close as she cursed under her breath. She turned her pale eyes to the bastard. It was the same one that had shot her down, and he still had the same rifle on him. He grinned wide at her, "Look at you! Alive and awake! How ya doin', sweetheart?"

Ash bared her teeth at him, eyes full of hatred. Anger roared to life inside her. She hissed, "You ugly inbred bastard, get the fuck out of my sight."

He chuckled and stepped inside. He squatted down in front of her, laying his weapon across his lap and clasping his hands together, "I guess you can say we're even, you blonde bitch. You wrecked my car and my job, I wreck your life."

Ash hesitated, staring into his eyes. They were cold, like the other guy's, but not as light colored. He leaned closer, stretching a hand out to touch her face. Ash jerked away with a snarl, "Don't touch me!"

He laughed, "I can touch you if I want. You're _my _prisoner. And girl, I'm going to seriously fuck you up. You'll be begging for death by the time I'm finished with you."

"Sundance will eat you alive," Ash whispered.

"Is that her name?" He rolled his eyes up in thought, "well, considering Bry is cutting open her chest and yanking out her heart, there won't be much of a Sundance left here in a few hours."

Ash stared, eyes wide. "...What?"

"That's right. Think of it as a giant high school science project. We're dissecting our specimen to learn more about it." Then he moved even closer, getting right in her face, "We're going to pull that ugly machine apart piece by piece."

"No..." Ash pulled her good hand away from her side to support herself, clenching it into a fist on the floor, "You can't do that to her..."

"We're doing it right now." He paused, tilting his head as another earsplitting scream reached them. He grinned wickedly, "But don't worry. Once we get started you won't have the time to even think about her."

The anger and defiance came back full force. Ash glared at him then spit in his face, getting him right between the eyes. She snarled, "You can't break us."

His face twisted into a scowl. His hand shot out and closed around her throat, jerking her forward and clenching tightly. She gasped for air but never stopped glaring at him. He squeezed, completely cutting off her air. Her body began to panic, her heart pounded in her chest.

He chuckled, "Sweetheart, you're already broken."

Then, in one fluid motion, he dropped her, lifted his rifle, and slammed the butt of it into her head, knocking her out cold on the hard, dirty floor.

When Ash came to again, she was still face down on the floor.

Her throat was swollen and sore, making it almost impossible to breathe. Something sticky was all over her face, clumped up in her eyebrows and around her eyes, making it hard for her to open them. When she did, everything was blurry and bright.

She couldn't feel the side of her body where she'd been shot. She didn't know whether to be thankful or frightened because of it. She simply laid there for a moment, mulling over how seriously fucked she and Sundance were. Ash waited for the bastard to come back in, knowing somehow that he was close by. Maybe she could spit in his eye or punch him in the tenders before he finally killed her.

But as she laid there, she began to realize that something was very, _very _wrong. The whole situation they'd gotten into was wrong in the first place, but this...it was like her heart was frozen in her chest. And then it hit her.

It was silent.

Dreadfully quiet, so quiet that she could hear a pin drop.

No screaming.

Suddenly Ash was pushing herself up, gasping for air and ignoring the shock of agony that rattled her body. She sucked in a big gulp of air, even though it set her neck to burning, and tried to get her feet beneath her to stand.

_No screaming. Silence. Sundance..._Ash managed to stand up, although her legs were shaking so bad she could hardly stay balanced. _Sundance stopped screaming. _The silence was suddenly so much more harder to listen to than the agonized cries.

"No, no, no, no, no..." Ash stumbled forward towards the door, "God, no..." The tears came back, rushing out of her eyes and pouring down her face. She managed to make it, pressing her hands uselessly against the cold iron. There was no knob or handle, not even a lock. She slammed her fist against the door, voice rising to a hoarse shout, "NO!"

She screwed her eyes shut, seeing the dragon's burning red eyes in her mind, the way how they'd soften when her little brothers crawled all over her even though she acted annoyed with them. The way how they hardened when some stupid bot made some smart comment about her decepticon heritage. The way how they'd stare back at Ash at her weakest times, so calm and steady, giving her strength when nothing else could.

She kept hitting the door, "I'll kill you ALL!"

She shouted and cried, punching the damn thing until she had no feeling left in her hand. Then she sank to the floor in a defeated heap, slumping over as she sobbed uncontrollably.

* * *

><p>"It's like Christmas morning," Bry said with a grin as he stared at the massive metal beast stretched out across the floor, resting in a pool of faintly glowing energon. Split cables hung out of the massive hole in her chest armor. They hadn't even taken out her spark yet and they were already overflowing with information. But he could see it-a beautiful red star, pulsing and spinning inside the dragon's chest. It was a true wonder, to think that something like this powered the entire body of this machine.<p>

After hours of consistent cutting, the dragon had finally passed out and they had gotten to her spark. Now, they had begun cutting on her abdomen, determined to discover the secret of her liquid fire. What luck they had, for the dragon to actually _land_ in their territory. It was like a gift from God.

"Sir..." One of his younger soldiers said, straightening up when Bry turned to him. He looked nervous, almost scared, "What will happen when the rest of them find out what happened here?"

"They can do nothing," Bry said with confidence, "If they do anything to hurt us, they'll be forced to leave the planet."

"But we attacked them first."

"And they will never know if I can help it. Look at her, she can't escape. She's just a corpse now. She can't even move, there's no way in hell that she'll be able to get out and tell them where we are and what happened."

The soldier studied the dragon before relaxing. He inclined his head to Bry, "Thank you, sir." Then he left.

Bry went back to gazing at his greatest accomplishment, uninterrupted for several minutes until Brandon appeared, looking rather pleased with himself. Brandon stopped beside him and inhaled deeply, "Do you smell that, brother?"

"Success," Bry agreed, "how's our prisoner?"

"Feisty," Brandon grinned, "I'm going to have fun with her."

Bry narrowed his eyes, straightening slightly, "I don't want her harmed."

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?"

"Brandon...do _not _kill her. We don't hurt other humans."

Brandon snorted, the grin wiped from his face. He glared down at the dragon, "You should have thought about that before you brought me on board, Bry. Hurting humans is all I do."

"Behave," Bry growled. Brandon said nothing else, but Bry had a feeling that the older man had already begun terrorizing the girl.

"I've been waiting for this for years, Brandon," Bry said quietly, "it's finally happened. I just can't hardly wrap my head around it."

"That's because its been up in the clouds too long," Brandon mumbled, "I'm going to the cafeteria. This 'celebrating' is making me hungry."

"Stay away from the girl, Brandon," Bry reminded as his brother turned and walked out of the room. Once he was gone, Bry approached the dragon. He slid his palm over the scarred, energon-stained alloys of her face. Her lethal black teeth and plated optic ridges.

"My dream," He whispered, "it's come true."

* * *

><p>Ash barely had enough time to move when someone threw the door open again. Her tears had dried, but it still felt like there was a huge hole in her heart. She glared at the same man that had hit her earlier. She snarled, "What the hell do you want?"<p>

He was eating a burger. In between bites he started, "Bry doesn't want me playing with you-" A bite, "-he says that 'we don't hurt humans'. But I do. I've been doing it for years, I guess it's my calling-" another bite, "-So I'm going to have some fun today. Usually I don't do this, but there's just something about you..." He finishes the burger and wipes his hands on his jeans, "that really turns me on."

_Oh shit..._Ash's face went from angry to shocked to disgusted. She pressed her legs together and locked her arms around them. "What kind of fucking humans are you?" She whispered, "You hunt the same creatures that are keeping us safe, and you tear them apart, kill them for no fucking reason, then you go and rape girls that aren't even out of school yet! Sick bastards!"

"Yep, that's us." He slammed the door shut and crouched, reaching for her foot to pull her close. Ash summoned whatever strength she had left and kicked him as hard as she could, letting her fighting spirit flare to life.

He laughed, shaking his arm and standing up to just walk to her. He dropped beside her, grabbed her bad arm in one hand and her throat in the other. He slammed her down into the floor, "You just keep on fighting, sweetheart."

When she struggled, he let go of her neck and plunged all of five of his fingers into the bullet wound in her side. He hooked his fingers inside and hauled her towards him. Ash screamed, face twisting in pain as her entire body convulsed. She had enough control of her body to lock her legs when he reached for them. But he pushed his fingers in deeper, making her blind with pain. She fell back.

He took hold of the waist band of her jeans and pulled her closer, slipping his fingers around to the button. Ash tried her damnedest to recover, to kick him in the face, but she could do nothing. Her heart pounded in her chest, so fast and hard she half expected it to come right on out.

Then the entire building shook.

The bastard froze, slowly lifting his eyes to the door. Dust rained down from the ceiling. The door rattled. Something like thunder echoed through the building. Again, the walls shook, although more harshly, like whatever it was that was coming was getting closer. It continued, getting louder and louder.

Brandon dropped her, moving back. Ash forced herself to roll away from him. The door rattled one more time, before exploding outward, ripped off it's hinges. The wall around it cracked and shattered like glass. Clouds of dust rose up, as thick as smoke. Ash's eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of rose red just before a big head and a massive body pushed it's way inside.

"Impossible!" The man shouted, voice high with fear.

Sundance fixed her dark, empty gaze on him, her entire body freezing for just a second as she seemed to study him. Ash crawled towards her, heart soaring, "Sunny, you're alive!"

Then the dust settled some, and Ash saw.

Her chest armor was literally mangled, cut so deep and so wide that leaking cables hung out along with sparking wires. She could _see _the dragons raging red spark. Energon rolled down her frame in rivers, staining her beautiful red armor. Beneath her, along her belly, Ash could see her insides beginning to fall out like intestines. Her armor was scratched and scraped to the point of being colorless.

"Sundance...No..." Ash reached for her, but the dragon didn't even seem to notice her. All she saw, all she focused on, was the man.

Ash went back to watching her face, since it was the only part of her not horribly damaged. She watched as the dragon's lip plates pulled back, baring every tooth. Her prey stared back. He whispered, "You can't hurt me. I'm human."

And in a flash of red, the dragon struck. Her jaws opened, and snapped shut, crushing him in an instant. Ash watched without a even a breath of remorse as his blood rolled down Sundance's jaw. And then the dragon turned to her, staring with black, empty sockets like a scarred, bloody skull. And Ash saw it.

Instead of going to her, Ash took a step back, eyes wide with fear now instead of surprise. She shook her head slowly, hardly believing what she was seeing. She claimed, "You're not Sundance."

There was no expression, no fire or spunk or life. _Not her. It's not her. _"My God, what have they done to you?"

Sundance lunged towards her. Ash turned to get to her feet and try to run, but the dragon's claws closed around her, just tight enough to grip her body, and lifted her almost carefully to her open chest. Ash turned into her, holding on for dear life, as the femme lowered her head and broke through the next wall, continuing her rampage without so much as a sound.

* * *

><p><strong>Sundance has broken the golden rule...Not sure what to think of that yet, although I think he deserved it.<strong>

**Tell me what you guys think-much love!**

**Sundance and her family, the hunters, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Ash kept a hand pressed to her worst wound, her other hand against Sundance's side as the wingless dragon walked and stumbled across the earth. Although Ash knew the _real _Sundance wasn't quite inside the femme anymore, there was still _something. _Sundance had taken care not to crush or drop her while she literally charged through the base until she made herself an exit. The hunters had been scattered, screaming and running around like headless chickens. Sundance hadn't slowed down until they were far out of sight of the base, loosing plates of armor and chunks of cables. A line of energon marked her trail, along with the deep gouges left by her lethal claws.

Ash tilted her head down when another piece of metal dropped from the dragon's body, from her belly. She gasped out, "You're loosing pieces again."

The dragon made no acknowledgment of her, and kept walking at the same steady pace that Ash almost had to run to keep up with. How the damn dragon did it was a mystery to Ash, who was running on fumes.

Sundance's insides had spilled out from her stomach, thick cables dragging along beneath her. Ash couldn't stand to look-and no matter how hard she pleaded, Sundance would not stop. Her dead optics simply stared forward, her blood-stained jaws were locked tight. She no longer held her head high-it hung low, stretched out in front of her, her neck in line with her spine. Her tail was the same way.

Ash tripped and hit the ground, unable to catch herself in time. She landed hard against her side, giving a soft cry when she did. She rolled over, turning her back to the dragon. She could hear Sundance's feet still padding along, so she started to sit up. But Ash was so exhausted, she could hardly keep her eyes open. She decided that she didn't give a damn if she was left here, she'd find the big ass dragon later after she caught a nap.

She was starting to doze when the dirt shifted around her, and the familiar whir of gears and hiss of overheated joints echoed above her. Ash forced herself to lift her head and look up into the blank face that was suddenly inches away from her own.

Ash stared at the dragon, feeling her heart break for the tenth time when she couldn't find any sign of her child hood friend inside the machine. The blood had dried all over her teeth and her mouth, in splatters and drips and streaks. Ash could still see pieces of the poor bastard's clothing and even chunks of flesh between her teeth.

"I'm tired," She said even though she knew she wouldn't get a response. When silence met her, she shrugged and laid her head back down, "Stand there and stare if you want." She closed her eyes again, only to jump up in surprise when a big drop of hot energon landed on her legs. "What the hell, Sundance!" She rushed to wipe it off before it could touch her skin, then froze altogether when another drop landed beside her. Finally, she looked up.

Energon was beginning to stream out of Sundance's closed maw, leaving clear streaks in the blood. The energon poured out more and more with every passing second, and Ash realized that the dragon was starting to let her head and tail drop.

Exhaustion gone, Ash pushed herself up in a panic, diving under Sundance's head and pushing up with her shoulders to keep it up. She glanced at Sundance's spark, bare to the world, in time to see it flicker. She shouted, "_Fuck_!" she pressed her bloody hands up against Sundance's chin, managing to hold it up as she turned around, facing forward. She started to walk, almost dragging her. Sundance caught on and started to walk again, although slower.

"Come on," Ash ordered, "Stay with me, Sunny! I swear to God, that if you leave me here I will kick your ass in heaven!"

Sundance's foot sank deep into the dirt and she stopped walking. Ash could feel the weight of the dragon's head steadily growing as she lost her strength. She shoved up harder, "Walk, you stupid dragon!"

Sundance took another step and stopped. Ash heard her tail hit the ground, and cursed louder. She kept trying to pull her, "We gotta keep moving you damn flame-thrower! Stop being-" Sundance took one more step before one of her rear legs gave out on her and her back end dropped to the ground.

"No!" Ash shouted, "Sundance, get UP!"

Sundance drug her body a few more feet, steam rising up in thick clouds all around her from her joints. More energon was starting to flood out of her from everywhere. Ash clenched her teeth when it rolled down her jaws and dropped right on top of her, soaking her entire shirt. Sundance sank deeper before completely collapsing. Ash managed to duck out from beneath her before she was crushed. She fell on her butt, staring at the dragon as she let her head fall to the ground.

Ash glanced down at her own wound when it began to throb again. The bandage was wet with her blood. Fatigue settled inside her, stealing away whatever strength she had found. She slumped down until she was laying on her side. More tears slipped from her eyes, "Oh yeah? You just gonna quit like that? After Galvatron and the fire and all the shit we've been through...you're just going to lay down and let yourself bleed to death like a freaking wimp..."

The dragon said nothing, only seemed to sink further and further into the wet dirt. She exhaled sharply, steam and tiny wisps of black smoke leaving her flared nostrils. Her damaged plates of armor seemed to slide down her body. Ash realized that some of the cables hanging out of her gut had busted and were leaking energon and other fluids. Sundance was nothing more than a big mechanical carcass, and at this rate, soon Ash would be no different.

Ash felt whatever fighting spirit she had fade into nothing. Darkness began to overwhelm her, but not before she whispered, "Me, too, sister."

* * *

><p><strong>Although it's like, overly despressing, I really, really like this one for some reason. In a dark, twisted setting, it really kind of sheds light on the bond these two have. Sundance, barely herself, still seems to understand that Ash is important to her, and turns around to wait for her when she collapses. Even in her state, she <em>still <em>refuses to leave her behind.**

**While Ash ignores her injuries and exhaustion to keep Sundance alert for as long as she can. She pushes Sundance on until she simply can't go any further, and even then gets Sundance to drag herself a little further. **

**In a way, it reminds of the bond Demona has with Critter.**

**Anyway, here's your does of depression! :D**

**Sundance and her family, the hunters, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

_Where is she..._Demona increased her speed, pushing her frame to the limits. There was something heavy in the air, something that hadn't been there before. Her spark clenched when she realized that the winds were thick with the smell of energon. There was human blood, too. She knew that her sparkling wasn't offline, but the scent was simply _too _strong to not cause worry.

She curved slightly, optics focusing on trails of the faintly glowing fluid. She followed them, welcoming the light tug on her spark that told her she was close to her creation. She looked ahead then, searching for the tell-tale red of Sundance's armor, hoping and praying to Primus that her creation would still be in one piece.

_Primus, no..._Demona's spark went cold. Her processor became numb.

Sundance was laying on her front, stretched out over a slight incline in a straight line. Her armor was hardly recognizable-scraped and scratched and bathed in energon. Damaged and open cables lay in a jumbled mess beneath her middle. Her wings were gone. Her chest plates were jagged and pushed outward, with ruthless cuts and incisions lining the gaping hole. Demona could barely see the light of Sundance's spark inside.

_'Demona, can you see her?' _Jolt pushed, tone on the edge of panic, _'Primus, please save her-'_

Demona sank into the frightening silence that seemed to hang in the air. A few feet away from Sundance lay Ash's crumpled form. Even from this high in the air, Demona could see that the girl's clothes were soaked in energon and blood. She wasn't spilling her insides everywhere, so she looked in somewhat of a better state than Sundance.

Demona pulled at Jolt, all the rage she had been feeling towards the hunters vanishing in an instant as she counted the injuries, the split lines and broken cables pooling out of the dragon. _'Jolt, hurry!'_

She felt him tense in response, but all he sent through the bond was emotions. Spark wrenching fear, pain. Panic. A growing sense of anger. Demona tilted her form down into a sharp dive when she was at last close enough. It was then that she saw head lights, heard revving engines. Her hidden optics narrowed.

There was a line of jeeps, filled with shouting men, approaching rapidly. The cars bounced over the hills and rushed to surround Sundance. Demona snarled. _They're the ones responsible...they did this..._

She shifted directions the slightest, spiraling down sharply. She pulled up and transformed, dropping down into a crouch near Sundance's broken form. The earth shook with impact, and almost every jeep swerved wildly when their drivers saw her. Blinding rage filled her, a burning pit in the core of her body. It raged and screamed.

One of the humans shouted, "She can't hurt us! Take her down!"

Demona's face twisted into a snarl, baring her dentals to them. One vehicle swung out of control and slid straight towards her. Demona swept her arm, hands shaped into claws that crushed the front end of the jeep and sent it rolling across the earth. She snarled, "I'll _crush _you!"

Their little organic eyes were wide with shock and fear. _To the pits with the law, _Demona's thoughts roared, _DESTROY THEM! _Her optics flashed, casting a crimson light across the earth.

"_Fuck that_!" Another human shouted. One of the vehicles turned around and started to race off, only to be stopped when a massive, clawed foot slammed down on the hood, effortlessly flattening it. Demona's optics raised from the scattering humans to the massive beast before her.

The huge mech spread his jaws wide, jaws that could crush Demona in a single bite, and let loose a roar that made the ground tremble beneath their feet. His cold optics were lit with rage, and he dipped his head down to snap his mouth shut over the butt end of another vehicle that had tried to slip past. _Grimlock, _her processor told her.

The humans were screaming now. The ones that had been caught in the damaged vehicles were falling out pathetically on the ground and running, crying like scared little sparklings the entire way. The last couple of jeeps were scattered, trying to turn around and go back.

Demona allowed her blades to slide out, single, broad, red weapons mounted on each wrist. She arced one down, slicing one of the jeeps clean down the middle without damaging the humans. The two solid pieces fell on their sides, and the men jumped out and took off. Grimlock left his first victims to go after the last jeep, charging after it with another enraged roar. A second dinobot dropped from the sky and got to it before him, stretching his feet out in front of him to kick it and send it tumbling.

The last vehicle taken care of and no hunters in sight, Demona turned to Sundance and ran to her side. Later, when her creation wasn't on the verge of offlining, she'd hunt those pit-spawned fleshlings down, and she'd make them suffer. She dropped to her knees, freezing when she saw the damage up close. Her optics widened, and her hands shook as she carefully placed them on her creation's body. "No...this..."

The earth rattled as the king of the dinobots rushed to them, his colossal shadow falling over them. He leaned in close, flared nostrils inches away from Sundance's head. He breathed in deeply, then looked at Demona. In a clear, deep, rumbling growl, he ordered, "Save her."

The smaller dinobot landed on his shoulders and looked up and down Sundance's body, expression turning doubtful and sad, "There's not much left to save, Grim."

"I must try," Demona whispered, pulling her creation closer and rolling her to her back so she could see her injuries better, "...Sundance...what have they done to you?" She glanced at Ash then, scanning her. The human had lost a lot of blood and had fractures in her arm, a deep wound on her side.

All three of them tensed when more engines started towards them. Demona relaxed almost just as quickly when she felt Jolt through the bond and recognized both, his and Prime's signatures.

Jolt was the first to transform, at Demona's side in an instant. He waited only for a moment, taking in the young femme's damaged form then the human's. He started working, "Demona, take care of Ash. You've had experience in treating human injuries."

Demona hesitated, staring at Sundance's dark, destroyed optics. Sundance was blind. On top of losing so much energon, on top of having her spark dangerously exposed to the world, on top of having her middle cut wide open for her insides to spill out on the ground. On top of being on the verge of offlining. It all hit Demona at once, and all she could do was sit there and stare.

Prime knelt beside her, placing a hand on her arm, "Demona."

"I should have been there," Demona whispered, "I should have been there to protect her..."

Her adopted mech creator reached through their bond and embraced her spark. The same moment, Jolt paused just long enough to look her in the optic and swear, "I _will_ save her, Demona. I won't let her go."

Demona saw the fear in his optics, the same that was so clear in her's, felt it in his spark. She knew then that he would do just that, so she left Sundance to crouch beside Ash. Carefully, she lifted the human into a hand and transformed her other into a set of human-sized medical tools.

"I've sent for Ratchet," Prime said. Jolt nodded, too busy to answer with words.

Demona glanced back at them in time to see Prime kneel and lean over Sundance. His fingers reached for her slightly open jaws, his optics narrowing when he picked a piece of bloody flesh from between the dragon's black teeth.

* * *

><p><strong>How Grimlock beat Prime and Jolt, I have no idea. Probably because of those long, powerful legs of his...and his ability to thoughtlessly charge through anything in his way. <strong>

**It looks as though our big ass-of-a-dinosaur is becoming attached to Sundance...we'll see where that goes...**

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed. Much love. **

**Sundance and her family, the hunters, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

_God, I hurt._

Ash turned over, trying to relieve the pressure on that throbbing hole in her side. She was stiff, too, she realized, and _heavy. _Everything felt like it weighed a ton. _That's better, _she thought tiredly. She rested for a few seconds longer before she felt something touch her. At first, she wanted to pull away. She was comfortable here, and most importantly, _safe. _There was no psycho hamburger-eating gun-toting pervs running around here in her head, and that's how she wanted to keep it.

Some part of her didn't want to move again, didn't want to show signs of awareness. _He's still here, _her thoughts whispered, _that cruel bastard is just waiting for me to wake up so he can start up again. _

She winced, face scrunching up as she heard the echo of a familiar, heart-wrenching scream. A scream that made her blood run cold in her veins. She hated it with every inch of her being. She hated the way how it rose into a screech then cut off when the screamer had run out of breath or energy. She hated the way how it managed to reach her, and how it was still there, singing through her mind. _I can't save her, _Ash realized, _she's saved my ass so many times and I can't do one fucking thing for her. _

The screams kept coming, bouncing off the walls of her skull. It made her twist and writhe in a useless attempt to get away from it. _Sundance, I'm so sorry..._

Then, cutting through the consistent agonized cries, a completely different sound reached her. It was a voice, quiet and worried, like a whisper, "She's having a nightmare."

Another spoke up, "Should we wake her up?"

And a third, "No. She's lost too much blood, her body simply can't take it if she were to online now."

The first voice started again, "I don't understand how her having _nightmares _will help her get any 'rest'. She's suffering. I can't sit here and watch my girl suffer." The harsh sarcasm in the tone was so familiar to Ash, but she couldn't quite remember who it belonged to.

Ash considered turning away from the voices-they were distracting her from Sundance, which was _amazing, _but at the same time they were pulling her from this safe place. Waking up.

She was waking up.

The third one huffed in an agitated manner, "It doesn't matter now, you've already woken her. I thought I told you to stay quiet. If you want to stay by her side, then you have to obey the rules."

"_Seriously_, Ratchet?"

"Rex, calm down."

And all Ash wanted them to do was shut up. She really wanted to stay here, nightmares or not. She'd take them over the horrors she would face in reality anyway, especially being stuck inside that pitiful freaking dungeon. She was about to swat an arm out to shoo them away when a light bulb went off in her head.

_She said Rex. _

Suddenly, Ash turned all of her attention on the voices. They quietly argued back and forth for a moment before being shushed by the only mechanical tone there.

"...You've disturbed Sundance."

Ash tensed, alarm coursing through her. _S...Sundance?_

"She's actually awake? I thought-"

"No. She couldn't possibly online right now, but what parts of her processor that survived have begun to react to our conversation."

"That's good, though, right?" It was a completely different voice this time, one Ash didn't care to name. Whoever he was, he sounded hopeful. _Did they come after us? Did they save us?_

And then Ash remembered. She remembered the way the bastard's eyes seemed to gleam like a predator when he reached for her, grinning and laughing. She remembered the way how the entire building shook, the sound of muffled thunder reaching them. The rattling iron door of her cell, the way the dust came down from the ceiling. Thick clouds of the same stuff rising up when _she _broke through the wall. The way how her empty eye socks seemed to fix on him like she was waiting. The way how she struck, neck pulling into a lovely 'S' before extending so her open jaws could close around his body.

The way how _she _had picked Ash up and held her to her chest wordlessly, like she had the night the fire burnt down Ash's house. How she had exploded out the wall of the base and rushed off into the night. How Ash walked beside her for what felt like hours until they could go no further. How _she _had drug herself as far as possibly could before her body finally gave out on her.

_Sundance. Sundance saved us._

Ash tuned in to Ratchet, who vented again, and said, sounding somewhat defeated, "It's hard to tell. It may be that she's recovering on her own and on her way back us. It may also be that this is all we have left of her."

_...What? _Ash swallowed, now pushing at the darkness. She _needed _to know more, she _needed _to see what had happened. She needed to wake up.

Ash focused on speaking, forcing the words out as she came sluggishly back down to reality. Her body became even heavier, and the lightly throbbing turned into a constant, sharp ache. She clenched her teeth, forcing out, "Where..."

Everyone shut up in an instant. Silence filled the air-it was so quiet Ash was sure she could hear a mouse fart on a cotton ball on the other side of the room. She worked on trying to get her eyes open, but shit, everything was so _heavy _and so _slow._ She swallowed again, "Where...is she..."

A hand pressed against the side of her face. Someone, her father, she realized, whispered, "She's right next to you, baby."

Ash managed to get her eyes open. Everything was blurry, but she could pick out the unusually concerned brown eyes staring down at her. Rex smiled at her then, "You had us worried sick for a moment there, Ash."

"Hi daddy," She whispered back. She managed a weak smile when he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Hi, baby." His smile turned into a shaky grin, "Old Big Bird here thought you wouldn't wake up any time soon. I says, we sure showed him, huh? My girls are made of tough stuff."

Her smile grew just a little bit, at least until the medic's big yellow face came into view above. He was frowning rather intensely, "You shouldn't be awake, youngling."

"I..." Ash hesitated, realizing for the first time that she might be unable to handle the damage she'd see when she looked. She pushed on anyway, "...I can't hear her."

"She's in a stasis lock," Ratchet answered, his tone softer now, "And has been for several days."

_Several...? Was I out for that long?_

"You both were extremely lucky to escape, but..." His optics trailed elsewhere. Ash made her body work and turned her head to follow his gaze, half-open pale eyes landing on the corpse-like body of her best friend. In a way, Sundance looked worse than she remembered. Her armor had been completely removed so they could reach every part of her body. There was still massive damage to her insides, but her bare spark was shining brighter than it had been at the hunter's base, stronger. Several thick tubes and cables were attached to her body, draping almost carefully off the table to run along the floor. They were connected to some giant machine that had been brought over at the end of her berth. Like alien robot life support, or something.

Ash raked her eyes across Sundance's metal skeleton. She couldn't see the dragon's face, and she was almost thankful for that. She pushed, "But what?"

"The injuries you two suffered are catastrophic. I haven't seen damage like this since the beginning of the war."

"Are we going to make it?"

Ash's sudden question had the medic focused back on her immediately. HE stared hard at her, like he was searching her eyes. Ash looked him in the eye ball, and said firmly, "Don't you dare lie to me, you big ass banana. I want the truth."

Ratchet seemed to hesitate, like he didn't want to say. Ash's heart squeezed, automatically expecting the worst. It was her father who whispered, "We lost you."

Ash looked at him to find him staring down helplessly at the floor, eyes full of pain. He repeated, "We lost you. Your heart stopped, Ash, twice. You've been walking the line ever since Demi and Jolt brought you here."

"I'm not out of the fire yet, am I?"

"No," Ratchet cut in, voice hardening, "which is exactly why you shouldn't be wasting energy running your mouth."

"What about sunny?" Ash continued, "I'm not passing out again until you tell me what's up with her."

Complete silence again. Ash blinked up at them, and after a moment, she snarled, "_Really_, guys? I need to know!"

"She lost too much energon," her uncle Pockets said, speaking up for the first time since she woke. He glanced up at Ratchet, "All of the autobots that came to get you had to donate some of their own to her, and that was just to keep her alive long enough to get here."

"But she's going to be okay, right?" Ash made a crazy motion with her arm, regretting it when pain shot through it, "quit dragging it out and tell me already!"

"Sundance's worst injury is in her processor," Ratchet started up again,"her family was able to keep her spark online, but the energon lines that powered her processor were severed. It was the first part of her body to begin shutting down."

Ash stared, her head trying to wrap around what he was saying. She sucked in a sharp breath, then said, "You mean...she's...brain-dead?"

"In human terms, yes."

She lowered her eyes to her hands, seeing the raw energon-burns that still blotted parts of her skin. She remembered the completely blank look Sundance had given her, the way how she never said or word or showed emotion. Ash had thought that it was something that would go away, like that time Demona went made with rage. It had taken a long time to get her to come back, but she had. Ash had been so sure that it was the same with Sundance, but now...

Ash's voice was a cracking whisper, "You mean she's not Sundance anymore."

Her dad's hand wrapped around one of her's, squeezing lightly. He said nothing, only watched her expressions. Ash closed her eyes when Ratchet confirmed, "The only parts of her processor that survived was her recognition of vocal patterns and some of her core instincts. Her personality, her memories, her thoughts...they're gone."

"Can you fix her?" Ash asked, staring up at him. She could feel tears again, and even though she would rather die than cry in front of a bunch of people, she didn't bother fighting it, "Can you put her back together?"

"Rebuilding a bot's processor isn't as simple as replacing parts or resealing cables, youngling," Ratchet's tone was much softer now, losing the almost emotionless doctor tone, "There's a possibility that, if we had the parts, we could..." He paused as if searching for the right words, "'put her back together', but even then there is an almost nonexistent chance that she'll completely recover. I'm sorry, Ashlynn."

Ash physically recoiled, curling in on herself as the medic's sad words hit her like a kick to the stomach. She turned her face away from them, squeezing her eyes shut. Her father touched her shoulder again, "Ash, I-"

"I want to go back to sleep now," Ash said, taking in a painful breath of air, "I just want to go to sleep."

She saw Sundance's face in her head, _before _all this shit happened. She was laughing at something her brothers had said or done. She was happy, without a bunch of holes in her body and all of her insides hanging out. Her optics were bright. Ash held on to the image, gripping it as tightly as she could so it couldn't slip away. She waited for the safe darkness of sleep to take her away from this hell-spawned nightmare.

* * *

><p><strong>:( <strong>

**Sundance and her family, the hunters, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

"You haven't recharged in days, Jolt," Ratchet started, not bothering to look up from monitoring the screens on the machine pumping fresh energon into Sundance's ravaged frame. His optics were narrowed, unusually cold, and his yellow and gray face plates were arranged into a toneless expression. He had been neglecting himself as well, but not nearly as much as Jolt or Demona had.

As much as he hated not being able to work on the youngling without rest until all of her injuries had been taken care of, he was getting up there in age. It had been a long time since he'd been faced with such horrible damage, and he was rapidly learning that he wasn't the young bot he used to be.

Jolt and Demona easily outlasted him, and were still up on their feet. It was beginning to worry him. He had a human girl and a young femme in critical condition. The last thing he needed was two adult autobots in a forced stasis lock from exhaustion. Demona wasn't in the room for him to bother-she had torn herself away from Sundance's side to meet some members of her human family who were coming to stay at base. So Jolt became the main object of his picking.

His youngest student stood straight backed, arms crossed and electric blue optics fixed on the face of his only femme creation. He looked all the part of a completely alert parent-but Ratchet knew better. He had been dealing with the mech since he was fresh into his second frame.

Jolt's face plates were loose to the point of sagging. His optics were the same bright shade of blue, but somehow dull with worry. And then there was the way how his joints would creak or the way how his steps were heavy and almost clumsy when actually _did _walk away from Sundance's prone form.

Ratchet paused to send a sideways glance at the younger mech, "You need to recharge before your body gives out from exhaustion."

All Ratchet got in response was silence. So he vented and went back to the machine, "You are not too old to drag across the floor, youngling."

"I can't, Ratchet."

Again, Ratchet turned away. He straightened, forcing down a grimace when his back popped in several places. He was definitely getting old.

Jolt hadn't so much as moved from his place, and he didn't bother to say anything else. Ratchet looked towards the group of humans piled around Ash-there was the organic version of the bane of his existence, Rex, and there was his former mate Shark and Pockets. Tiny Rose was there, too, curled up in her mech creator's arms.

Shark was laying in bed with Ash, her chest to Ash's back. Her pale organic optics were half open, staring down at her creation. Rex was seated at the end of Ash's bed, bent with his face in his hands. Ratchet couldn't remember a time when he'd seen the human so still and quiet. Pockets was standing beside him, almost like a guard or an older sibling. He was cradling his daughter with one arm, the other hand resting on Rex's shoulder.

It was then that he realized hardly _any _of them had recharged. The only ones unconscious this entire time had been Ash and Sundance. His optics then falling on the weak human girl, his processor turned to the one time she had woken.

Her state, like Sundance's, was still questionable. She wasn't recovering as fast or well as he would have liked, and it bothered him deeply. _She's alive, _he reminded himself, _she's still fighting. _And while she was _still _one of his patients, and it was _still _his intention to see to it that she had a good recovery, she was not his main priority.

Which brought him to the same question he'd been asking himself the moment he saw the rose red dragon-what was he going to do about Sundance? She had been damaged almost to the point of complete mutilation-the only parts on her body left untouched being her tail and her legs and feet. How a group of mindless humans had done this to her, he'd never know. But the moment he saw her, he knew that the damage was much deeper than broken cables and ragged armor.

And he had been right.

As they put Sundance back together piece by piece, she grew stronger. Soon she would wake, and they would be at a loss of what to do. Ratchet had just barely managed to gather what parts he needed to rebuild her processor, but he didn't know what his next step would be. He had rebuilt processors, several, actually, back on Cybertron. Each one he had spent days painstakingly putting them together out of sheer hope that they would pull out of it. The effort was wasted every time, though. Not one of those bots fully recovered, and not one of those bots had survived long after.

He feared in his spark that Sundance would be the same, and there was few things worse than a full grown bot the size of Optimus with less than half a functioning processor. And although he hated lying about someone's medical condition as much as picking up after those pit-spawned twins, he did it anyway, "She'll be okay, Jolt."

The mech finally responded, turning tortured optics on Ratchet. He said quietly, "No she won't."

Ratchet stared into his optics, seeing a horrible pain that he recognized from the years on Cybertron, when the war had just begun. It was the look of spark-broken creators as they were forced to watch their creations suffer, completely helpless to save them.

* * *

><p>Havoc leaned to the left, her much smaller frame easily slicing through the warm air. Her crimson optics were pointed down as a strange but familiar smell filtered through her nostrils. She smelt it much earlier than her sisters-she had always been the <em>best <em>tracker.

She strained forward, stretching her long, thin neck out. The scent hung like a blanket in the air, thick and heavy. She called out to the rest of her trine, "Energon!" Immediately, both of the larger femmes glided closer, slipping into formation. Havoc took point, shifting directions to follow the scent.

Soon they were flying above faint trails of precious energon. Havoc felt her spark twist in her chest with anger-fresh energon was so rare to come by...who in the pit would waste it?

Bloodstar answered her unspoken questions, "Something happened here. Someone fell apart."

"This area _stinks _of autobot," Darkfire rumbled, "and human."

"Did the humans tear apart an autobot?" Bloodstar mused softly, "Interesting..."

"It's still a complete _waste _of energon," Havoc snarled, "whether they killed one or not, one should never make the kill without the intentions of feeding. Energon is too precious to waste."

"Agreed," Bloodstar said softly, "and what tiny organic thinks it has the right to challenge one of our kind? Autobot or not, it offends me."

"It makes me laugh," Darkfire snorted, "only an autobot could fall against humans."

They followed the trail to a large human structure. Havoc turned her gaze to Bloodstar. Darkfire snarled, "This place is infested, and I'm _starving._"

Bloodstar chuckled, "Lucky for us...there's plenty of energon-wasting helpless organics just waiting for us."

Havoc was the first to dive, wrapping her wings around her body to gain speed. She heard each of her sisters follow her lead. She broke into the ceiling, cutting through layers of organic materials before she slammed into the floor below. She let loose a cry that echoed through the halls before plunging forward to pluck her first screaming victim. Above, Bloodstar laughed and Darkfire roared.

* * *

><p><strong>Looks like Bry got more than he bargained for. <strong>

**It's been awhile since we've seen the trine...**

**I hope you guys enjoyed. Much love.**

**Sundance and her family, the hunters, the trined, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

_This is a dream. _

Ash looked around slowly, at an overly blue sky and fields of grass that were so green it hurt her eyes. There was no clouds, but there was wind that created waves in the knee deep greens, rolling back and forth. She could smell rain. And smoke. And wild, liquid fire. _Sundance._

She turned, eyes widening when they fell upon the massive shape of her child hood friend. Sundance was just landing, limbs stretched out with claws curled almost elegantly. Her wings beat silently, but Ash could still feel the resulting winds pulling at her hair. Ash held her breath, taking in every inch of the dragon.

Every plate of rose red armor was in place. All of her insides were covered, safe. Her colossal wings stayed raised above them, feathers splayed to cast jagged shadows across Ash's face. Her optics were lit, a brilliant, lovely red. Whole. Sundance was whole.

_It's just a dream. _Ash's thoughts repeated, echoing through her mind. She hated the voice for it, for reminding her. _She's in pieces. Big Bird said she'd never be the same again. She doesn't remember you, she doesn't know you._

"Yes you do," Ash whispered out loud, "you know me, don't you, Sunny?...Sundance?"

Sundance said nothing. She didn't even seem to be looking at her-rather through her. Her lip plates curled up slightly in a grimace before falling back into a frown. Her optics went soft, shining with sadness instead of strength. She folded her wings and started forward.

Ash hesitated, realizing for the first time that Sundance rolled her shoulders like a lioness when she walked. A predator, but still undeniably female with all the grace packed into every motion. It was a weird observation, and completely out of place. Maybe it was because it was the first time Ash had been around her for so long without actually feeling or seeing her move.

She snapped out of her thoughts, moving back a step when Sundance kept walking towards her. Her steps were wide and quick. Ash was about to open her mouth and shout at her to back off when Sundance simply walked _through _her, as if she wasn't even there. Ash's body just broke into curling wisps around Sundance's red chest, reforming when Sundance had walked past.

Ash blinked owlishly for a moment, "What the hell?"

"Ash."

Her heart clenched at the voice, one she hadn't heard in days. She forgot everything and turned, seeing Sundance stop in the grass, long neck arched and head pointed down to stare at a quietly sobbing little girl.

"Go away, Sundance!" The little girl cried halfheartedly, "I don't want you here!"

Ash's eyes flew to the girl, locking on her. She was thin and tiny, bent over in pain and tears. She had tiny hands clenched in her short blonde hair, and her back was to Ash and Sundance. She was shaking and dirty, and as they stood there watching her, a little growl alerted them that she was hungry, too.

_That's...impossible...it's...it's me. _Ash tore her eyes away from the child back to Sundance, at the 'brand-new' shine of her armor, without so much as a scuff. They way how her armor almost seemed too big for her. It hit her then. This was a memory. This was her and Sundance, after the dragon had been moved into her third frame. Right after Ash's parents had split apart, crushing her world. When she had ran away for the first time in her life.

"You don't mean that, Ash," Sundance said softly, "please come back."

"No!" Little Ash shouted, "I'm not going back! They don't want me anymore, and I don't want them!"

Ash watched as Sundance moved closer to her younger self, who kept going, "They don't love me, Sunny! They don't love each other, and they don't care about me! I just want to be alone! I'm never going back, I don't care what you say!"

"Even if I beg?" Sundance continued, "even if I take you to meet Derek, so you can learn how to dance and get married?"

"Go away! Nobody loves me anymore, nobody cares!"

Sundance seemed to hesitate before lowering her head and pressing her nose into the child's back. Ash's eyes widened, frozen in place. She could hardly believe what she was seeing-she had completely forgotten about this, about the words Sundance had spoken, was about to say here in her dream.

"I do."

And Ash's mini-me swung around and slapped her arms over Sundance's face, hugging as much as she could of the dragon as she started bawling, pressing her face into the dragon's nose. She started screaming, "What did I do, Sundance! I want both of them, not just my mommy! I want us all to be happy again! Why can't we be happy? Why can't they just love me, Sundance? Why!"

"They love you so much already, Ash," Sundance started quietly, "they always will. Just because you don't see him anymore doesn't mean that your dad stopped loving or wanting you. I know Rex, and there's no one he loves more than you."

"But you love me too, and you didn't leave..." The girl froze before pulling back and staring at her with wide, teary pale eyes, "You won't leave me either, right? Promise me you won't leave me! Promise me you won't give up!"

Sundance smiled, a small, soft smile that hardly showed any tooth, "I will never give up on you, Ash. I promise."

Ash bit her lip. The little girl smiled, "You're my best friend, Sunny. I won't give up on you, either."

Sundance chuckled, "Promise?"

"Promise!"

And the scene faded, both, dragon and child shattering like glass and fading from view. Ash turned away, left to walk the green fields alone. She sank down in the field, pushing her hands through her hair. Tears started flowing, remembering that the dragon she had just seen was nothing like the one resting on a berth across from her's in real life. She had been whole, strong, beautiful.

"God, Sunny...why does all the bad shit happen to us?" Ash whispered, wrapping her arms around her middle, "I can't...I can't do this without you..."

Something warm pressed against her back gently, right between her shoulders. Ash smiled shakily, "It's okay, Sunny." She swallowed and tilted her head to look behind her. Nothing was there, but the smell of smoke and fire still lingered in the air. She finished, "I'm...okay. You will be, too."

She tensed when something crashed. The earth shook and the sky split open. Alloys ground against each other in earsplitting shrieks. She slapped her hands over her ears and screwed her eyes shut. Something rushed past her, something she could see or sense in this place.

Ash gasped when gravity came rushing back to her and she found herself on her back, staring up at the metal ceiling of the med bay. She pushed herself up when her but went cold, eyes widening when she saw the empty berth beside her, the deep claw marks across it and the life-support cables scattered across the floor, carelessly tossed aside. Panic tore through her, almost freezing her in place. "What the hell!"

She lifted her head in time to see Ratchet slam into an upward position, optics still dim from his recharge. She shouted, "Where's Sundance!"

His optics widened.

* * *

><p><strong> I'm back with an explanation for my absence...I have become really sick lately, to the point of where I'm becoming a regular at Urgent Care and in the ER...I actually have to go back tomorrow for a procedure, so you probably won't hear from me then. <strong>

**On to the chapter! **

**Another dream/waking for Ash. It's super corny and not very well thought out but I just opened it again today and spared enough energy to do basic corrections...in other words, what you see is what you get. **

**I was thinking when I wrote this that Sundance was probably the only stable thing in Ash's life when she was a child. Her parents split when she was little, so I figure that Sundance probably took it upon herself to take care of her while she could, until Ash moved off with her mother. Hence her being the one to find her when Ash ran away. **

**I'm very sorry if all of this is confusing...if you have any questions I will answer them.**

**Also, the part where Sundance mentions 'dancing' and 'Derek', if you haven't read the Reflections chapter "From The Fire", then you probably don't know that when she was young, Ash was obsessed with dancing, and Dancing with the Stars. Derek is one of the dancers on there. (Just sayin', because I know there's a lot of people out there who don't watch it)**

**Anyway, sounds like trouble! **

**Much love to you, sorry for talking your ears off and giving you a mediocre update. **

**Sundance and her family, friends, and the story all belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

"This place is _huge,_" He said, leaning forward to scan vivid green eyes over the autobot base, "I mean it was big before, but now it's just..."

"Monstrous," His older friend agreed, pulling her long curling hair over one shoulder. She leaned back in the seat, hand on her belly over her growing baby. Her blue eyes turned soft, "I hope everyone's okay...it seems like every time we come here, _something _goes wrong."

"I've noticed," He dead panned, "Almost everyone in my family is covered in scars that came from this place. I don't know whether to say I'm glad or depressed to be back."

She snorted, "If anything, Alec and your mom will be happy. None of us have even heard from you in months, Alex. Did you just fall into a black hole or what?"

He frowned, "Sometimes it feels like it, Jo."

"I know Demona will be happy to see you, too. Alec told me that she's misses you."

"I missed all of you." He changed the subject, shifting his hands on the steering wheel to point, "that's the guest hangar, right?"

Jo held her hands up, "I have no idea. The last time I came here was twenty years ago."

He shrugged and started to head towards one of the many tall metal buildings, "They need like, signs or something because this is ridiculous."

Jo pointed at something on their right, "What about a giant red robot?"

Critter grinned when his eyes fell on Demona, who had just stepped into the sunlight. It had been a while since he had last seen her, but she hadn't changed. She was still his favorite color, red, and she still had traits of one of his favorite cars, the Charger. She and Jolt didn't update the model of their alternates like the other bots did through the years-no, they were still wearing their two-thousand-and-ten cars.

Demona's light red optics landed on Critter's old beat up Bronco, and slightly brightened. But even from this far, he could see that something was wrong. His grin faded. Jo noticed, and turned her full attention to him, "What is it?"

Demona stepped to the side so the little Bronco could slip inside. Critter parked it beside a beater that was literally falling apart. He answered Jo, "Don't cross your fingers. It looks like this time will be like all the others."

This time, she frowned.

As he pushed the door open, Demona came over and knelt with that same fluid grace he'd admired ever since he was six. He straightened, hand on the door, and looked up at her. For a moment, they both were still, looking each other over carefully to make sure both were still in one piece. Then he smiled at her, "Hi, sister."

Her expression changed. Her face plates shifted, rearranging as she smiled back in an almost exhausted manner. Her optics seemed paler than he remembered them being, and he counted a few new scars that hadn't been there before. She opened a hand and lowered it to them, "Hello, brother."

Critter allowed his smile to grow. He walked around and opened the passenger door to help Jo out, supporting her when she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He steadied her when she moved towards Demona's palm. Jo looked up at her, "Long time no see, Dem. How are you?"

Demona's optics seemed to loose light, any joy she'd felt gone in an instant. When they were both seated in her hand, she said, tone grave, "Not well, Jo."

"I thought there was a catch to all of this...what's wrong?"

"Mother and Alec has been trying to contact you both," Demona said quietly, now leaving the hangar to walk back out into the sun. She cupped her other hand over them so they wouldn't go blind, ever mindful of them, "there have been injuries."

Critter tensed, wrapping the fingers of one hand around her armor out of old habit, "Who and what kind of injuries?"

"Sundance and Ash."

His eyes widened, flying up to her face. Jo went still beside him, also staring up.

"They were taken hostage by the Hunters...when we found them, they were both on the verge of offlining."

"Oh God," Jo breathed, covering her mouth with a hand, "are they okay?"

Critter held his breath, hoping that she would say 'yes', but she was never one to lie to them, her family. Her answer seemed to shatter the atmosphere, "No."

The rest of the way into the base was quiet.

* * *

><p>"Shark."<p>

Shark lifted her narrowed pale blue eyes from her tray of food, which she had been eyeballing with disgust, and fixed on painfully familiar brown ones. She felt her heart squeeze when Rex sat down beside her, though not too close in an attempt to make her comfortable.

When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. She didn't know if it was from crying over their daughter or just the fact that he was actually _here, _right beside her again. She greeted, "Rex. So he threw you out, too, huh?"

"Yeah. He told me to go 'refuel'. Damn medic..." Rex looked down at his food. He added, "You look good."

"So do you," Shark slammed down on the urge to touch him. It had been so long since she'd seen him or even heard his voice, and her heart still ached for him like it did years ago when they split. In all honesty, it had nearly killed her to tear away from him like that. He was the first human being she'd ever come to love, considering she didn't hardly have a family growing up.

Across from them, Pockets was helping Gears sit down, who was smiling tiredly. Rex looked up and grinned at her, "Look at you, misses James. You finally got out of that junkyard for a while, huh?"

His grin faltered when her eyes scanned over the space in front of her, before seeming to settle on him. They were still green, but no where near the crystal clear, bright green that they used to be. They were pale, clouded. Half open. Shark realized that she was completely blind.

"Thank God!" Gears started, "I don't mind staying at home with Dem, but it always takes a freaking crisis to bring the family back together. I hate the reason _why _we came back together, but it's good to be around everyone again."

Pockets sat down beside her, allowing Rose to hop up in his lap and start eating stuff of his tray. Gears leaned against him slightly, like she didn't quite have the strength to hold herself up. Pockets didn't mind at all. He just smiled back at her.

Shark said nothing. Her mind felt like it was going to explode from all the pressure. Between being within touching range of the only man she'd ever loved, spending the past few days staring down at her daughter who _still _hadn't shown any signs of a full recovery, and stressing out because of all the giant robots running around the place. Even after all this time, she couldn't bring herself to completely trust them.

So she did what she was good at. She observed. Rex was older now, with a bit of white and silver scattered throughout his wild blonde hair. His brown eyes were the same as she remembered-laughing on the outside, pained on the inside. He was a little bit taller than she remembered, but he was still just as thin and lanky.

Pockets was still the same behemoth she'd come to know when they were all very young. His hair was the same striking red, as Gears' once was, and his eyes were still clear and calm, often fixing on his daughter, Gears, or Rex. Like he was checking on them, making sure they were each okay. He smiled and laughed lightly at Rose's antics, but every time he looked at Gears, Shark could see the sharp pain in his eyes.

Gears was a shell of the woman she was when Shark had first met her. She was bent over, and she had lost weight. Her shoulders looked frail and were pulled in, and her hair, which had been wild and crazy and _red_, was almost completely gray now and scraped back into a tight pony tail. Her scars were a lot clearer than she remembered, and then there was her eyes...

"...I finally got a hold of Alex," Pockets said, raised a hand to wrap around his mother's, "he picked up Jo on his way out, and they're coming here."

Gears' grin broadened. She leaned further into her son, "My family...together again..."

_Most of them, _Shark thought bitterly. She looked behind her with narrowed eyes, in the direction of the med bay. If she wasn't so worn, she would have kicked Ratchet's ass for throwing them all out. She blinked when Demona walked inside, two humans cradled to her chest like they were the most precious things in the world.

Despite her mood, she turned back to Gears and said softly, "Demona just brought them in."

And the woman simply _beamed. _She tried to stand up but stumbled. Pockets was on his feet in a flash and caught her with one arm around her shoulders. Rose was tucked under his other arm like a little human football, giggling madly.

"Mom, be careful," Pockets said, "you can't just jump up like that."

She snorted, "I'm fine."

He rolled his eyes.

Shark shut herself off, staring down at her tray as Demona made her way over and the family exploded into several different conversations. Critter went straight to Gears, wrapping his arms tight around her while Jo waddled her way over to Pockets and Rose.

Rex joined in for a while, but not long after she felt his eyes on her. She couldn't help but look back, losing herself in his eyes like the very first time she'd met him. He slowly settled beside her again before reaching his hand over to her's under the table. She didn't pull away when he laced his fingers with her's.

* * *

><p>"Flash!"<p>

Flashback glanced over his shoulder, bright blue optics narrowing slightly when he spotted Solaris' red armor. For the first time, Flashback turned his back on his friend. He turned his optics up to his father instead, demanding, "Take me to see Sundance."

Jolt vented softly, turning to his son with worn face plates set into a frown, "I can't, Flashback."

Flashback mimicked him, huffing out in annoyance, "Why not? You and mom get to see her!"

"Flash..."

"I have to know if she's okay!" He suddenly started, making Solaris jump beside him. "Tell me, dad!"

His mech creator stared down at him. Flashback's resolve seemed to crumble beneath the weight of his stare. His voice softened, "I have to see her. I have to know."

"You will," His father said tiredly, "when the time comes."

"That's what you said yesterday!" Flashback snapped. He raised a hand to press to his spark, and lowered his optics, "I can't hardly feel her anymore...it's like she's not even here. Dad. What...what happened to her?"

Jolt seemed to sink into himself, losing the strength flashback had admired in him for so long. He said, tone defeated, "Sundance sustained a great deal of damage, sparkling."

"I know that!"

Jolt cut him a sharp look and he forced himself to calm down, pushing, "But will she make it?"

Solaris chose that moment to say softly, "If she fought Galvatron, then she can survive this, right? She's one of the strongest femmes here."

Jolt looked at Solaris, "If it had been about strength to begin with, she would have easily made it out with Ash, without a scratch."

"Then what happened?"

"They used our bonds with the humans against her, and that's how she fell."

Flashback raised an optic ridge, "What does that even mean?"

"It means that they used Ash to get to Sundance," Solaris whispered.

Flashback's optics widened, swinging to the taller sparkling before flying back to his father, "Is that what happened? Dad!"

Jolt was silent, looking a thousand years older than what he really was. Flashback snarled, "How could they do that! They're humans, they're not supposed to-" His rant cut off abruptly and his shoulders slouched. He vented softly and walked away, leaving his friend and his creator to head towards the 'cafeteria', where he knew his mother was. He needed her right now, and she was pulling at his spark, calling him.

Before he could take more than a few steps, Jolt stood and walked after him, lifting him up off the floor and bringing him close to his chest. Flashback leaned against his warm chest armor, opening up his spark to him so he could feel all of his fear. He eased a tiny bit when Jolt wrapped him up with his own spark, sending him feelings of peace and strength.

* * *

><p>"Primus," Optimus vented softly when the tiny, bright red optics of Demona's youngest sparkling stared up at him, wide and sad.<p>

"He wants his femme creator," Elita said softly, standing close by so she could watch the little one. "Where is Demona?"

"She's making sure the rest of her family arrives at base safely," Optimus answered. The deep baritone of his voice seemed to frighten little Backlash, who shied away and looked away with a fearful whirr. The tiny mech was almost a wonder to Optimus. Not one of the sparklings on base had been so afraid of him before.

Sundance had wanted him to hold her the second her optics found him for the first time, only days after her creation. And Flashback...Optimus' voice used to simply lull him to sleep. Solaris had never been afraid of him, and neither had Warhammer. Even Bumblebee, when Ratchet had carried him from the carnage of a battle back in the beginning of the war, hadn't reacted this way.

"He's afraid of you," Elita realized, shocked.

Optimus nodded, not willing to take the risk of upsetting the sparkling any further. He considered offering Backlash to Elita, but a sharp keen from the sparkling stopped any thoughts in his processor. The sparkling began to cry, the sharp screams piercing his audio receptors. He winced, bringing the little one closer to his chest in an attempt to calm him. Backlash only cried harder.

Elita panicked, "Give him to me!"

He as about do just that when the sound of screeching alloys echoed from deep inside the base. They both froze, optics wide and fixed on the hall stretched out before them. Alarmed shouts went up, then the walls seemed to shudder. His first thought was decepticons, at least until the frightened screams of the sparkling cut off, turning into happy little chirps and whistles as Backlash stumbled across his palm.

He was looking down at the little sparkling when something massive slammed into him, effortlessly knocking him flat on his aft. He suddenly found himself staring up into a blank gray face, his optics as wide and round as possible.

"_Optimus_!" Elita gasped.

The face was directly above his, and as he studied the thick scarring around the sockets where optics should be, thin lines of energon began to drain down the jaw. He whispered, spark clenching, "Sundance?"

The massive dragon stayed where she was, stone-still, even though there was still holes in her armor and a few cables drug beneath her body. He realized that more than half of her armor had been removed, leaving the silver skeletal protoform beneath in the open. Her horns were gone with the armor of her helm, and her back was bare of wings.

She stared at him, expression completely toneless. Little feet trotted across his chest armor, slipping on the glass of his windows, before Backlash came into view. He was chattering cheerfully, stretching tiny little hands up in an attempt to touch Sundance's face. When he couldn't reach her, he let out a round of frustrated static and jumped.

Sundance finally moved, tilting her head down slightly, nose touching her brother's open palms. He squealed happily, running his hands all up and down her nose. Optimus watched, stunned, as Sundance slowly lowered her entire head until it rested against his chest plates. Every inch she moved, Backlash grew happier, and soon he was crawling over her face, patting her metal skull, talking so fast in his sparkling language that it sounded like one big, garbled mess.

_She's listening to him. _Optimus blinked slowly, realization sinking through his processor, _Sundance is listening to Backlash._

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter is all scattered to hell and everyones out of character...ugh...Glad I got some Rex and Shark in there, though. And look at that! Critters still walking and he's even <em>driving!<em>**

**Now we know where Sundance went. :3 She be lovin on her baby brother to make sure he's okay.**

**Sundance and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

"Sundance," Optimus tried.

The dragon was still resting her head over his chest plates, body slowly sinking to the floor beside him. Backlash was still crawling all over her face, chattering happily. She didn't react to Optimus, she seemed completely focused on her youngest sibling. Elita-1 hovered over them. He felt her touch him through their bond, her small hands pressing to his shoulder, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," He answered, which was surprising since Sundance had hit him when enough force to send him falling on his aft. He hadn't been hit so hard since his short skirmish with Megatron in mission city over twenty human years ago.

He watched the interaction between Demona's sparklings, wondering if it was even possible for Sundance to understand Backlash. He'd heard it from Jolt and Ratchet, and felt the pain constrict Demona's spark when they realized just how deep the damage to her body was. Her processor was mostly offline, to the point of being unable to speak or even think properly. Could she really be listening to her brother?

He felt a light tug on his spark. Moments later Demona came rushing around the corner, almost slamming to a stop when she saw what was going on. Behind her was the towering frame of Grimlock, and behind him the sleek form of Jazz, who was currently jumping around in an attempt to get a better look, "Whats goin' on! Grimlock, move, you big pile of useless-"

"Sweetsparks," Demona said softly. Backlash stopped his chattering and twisted around to look at her. He let out a happy little whir in greeting and lifted his hands to her like he wanted to be held. Sundance twitched at the sound of her femme creator's voice, tilting her head slightly. Backlash slid off and landed on Optimus' chest with an indignant huff.

Demona approached, lifting Backlash in one hand while using the other to slip beneath Sundance's head. She brought Backlash to her chest while she tried to speak to the dragon, "Sundance, your brother is safe."

Sundance turned away from Optimus completely, lifting herself off the floor. Demona smiled slightly, although it was tired and sad. She settled Backlash on her shoulder and wrapped both arms around her creation's body.

"Demona," Optimus started, sitting up, "I can carry her back to the med bay." Grimlock moved forward a step like he was about to offer to do it, too.

Demona shook her head, "No, Optimus. She's my creation, I will take her."

Optimus said nothing else, watching as Demona gathered all of Sundance's long body into her arms. Demona's smile grew a little when Sundance lifted her head and draped it over her shoulder. For a moment, Optimus was afraid she wouldn't be able to carry Sundance, but she did.

He stood up, turning to watch as Demona carried both of her sparklings down the hall and out of sight.

* * *

><p>"Primus, human!" Ratchet snapped, "Stay down!"<p>

"I can't!" Ash snapped, "there's no telling where the hell she went! I gotta find her!"

"You're in no condition to stand, never mind walk!"

"OH WELL!" She shouted, about to force her tired body to her feet.

Ratchet was glaring vehemently at her, "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay in that bed."

"If you know what's good for you, _you'll stop telling me whats good for me!"_

He was about to retaliate when the med bay doors slid open. They both looked away from each other, dropping the argument. Ash held her breath, eyes wide while Ratchet breathed, "Primus, youngling..."

Demona walked past them and over to Sundance's berth, the big dragon, easily longer than Demona was tall, bundled up in her arms in coils of dead silver and rose red. The dragon had her head draped over her mother's shoulder, her claws curled almost gently around Demona's chest armor.

Demona carefully laid her down on the berth. Sundance was limp, already lost in recharge. The older femme began to reattach the cables and wires that led to the numerous monitoring computers. Ratchet joined her without a word, transforming one hand into some type of creepy tool to reseal all the little splits in Sundance's insides.

Ash watched for a moment, before starting, "I thought she was in a coma."

"Forced stasis," Ratchet corrected without turning around, "and she was."

"Backlash started crying," Demona said softly.

Ratchet stilled. Ash leaned forward, wincing when pain lanced through her. With a hiss, she laid back. Demona looked at the medic, "He was afraid of Prime. I thought you said she wouldn't recognize her spark bonds."

"She doesn't," Ratchet said with a soft vent, "but she recognizes vocal patterns. She may not have remembered who he was, but she knew he was important to her, so she onlined and found him." He turned halfway so that his side was towards Ash, turning tired old blue optics to her, "Like Ash."

"She remembers something," Ash said, her eyelids beginning to grow heavy. She was so tired, and she hurt, even though Ratchet had pumped her full of pain killers. "I know she remembers us, it's buried somewhere in that big head of her's...but we're there. All of us."

* * *

><p>Darkfire growled deep in her chest, approaching Bloodstar from the rear.<p>

The sleeker femme could feel the subtle trembles in the earth with every step her sister took. Bloodstar turned her head slightly, just enough to glance back at Darkfire out of the corner of her optic. Her face plates were arranged into an expression of annoyance, and her fierce, cold red optics were narrowed.

Bloodstar chuckled when her sister came to stand beside her, grunting out, "When are you going to let me eat it?"

Havoc, curled up on a mound of rubble, lifted her head and said, "I can't believe you're still hungry."

"I can't believe you're full," Darkfire shot back. She let her massive claws sink into the shattered concrete that once made up the floor of the human base. Her murderous gaze was fixed on the trembling, damaged form of the only organic left, the one that had reeked of the autobot's spilled energon. The one that had been covered in it.

"You're frightening our prisoner," Bloodstar said, smiling, "besides..." She stepped forward in a liquid-smooth motion, dropping her head to nose the human lightly in the side, "he has a story to share with us...don't you, _Bry_?"

The human went rigid.

"First you spare one, now you name it?" Darkfire mumbled, "you're growing soft."

"She's still alive..." The human whispered, uncurling slightly to gaze up at the leader of the trine, "she...I thought that she was dead, but she came back to life, took the girl...and she broke free..."

Havoc rose and leaped down from her resting place, joining them along while Darkfire stopped her grumbling. The smallest of the trine said, surprised, "She's alive?"

"That's impossible," Darkfire snarled, "There's too much shed energon here. Even if she had woken again, she couldn't possibly have gotten far. The other autobots must have found her here-"

"More dead than alive..." He snarled, raising frightened pale optics to them, "the damn dragon just wouldn't die."

Bloodstar raised her claws, dragging the tips down his side gently, slicing through his dirty clothes and into his skin, "Where are they, human?"

He went rigid, shying away. She pushed, "Where are the autobots?"

She smiled when he uttered the words, the location of their enemies. Her sisters leaned in close to hear it as well.

"Sonoran Desert, Arizona..." He said, "Arizona."

Bloodstar back, removing her lethal claws. She said, "Thank you, Bry. Your help is appreciated."

Darkfire grunted, "Can I eat him now?"

"Make it quick," Bloodstar said, watching as her sister moved forward with open jaws, "it's time for us to show ourselves. Tonight, we fly to Arizona, and hopefully by tomorrow evening, we'll be dining on autobot energon."

* * *

><p><strong>I love the trine. :) Also-I know that that's not where their base is in the movies, but I thought that a big base in the desert would be appropriate.<strong>

**Short chapter, sorry.**

**Hope you enjoyed it, much love.**

**Sundance and her family, the trine, the hunters, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

"I should have had someone shoot me a long time ago," Ash muttered, eyes focused on her parents warily. She was awake again, a few hours after Sundance's little rampage, and surrounded once again by her family, human and alien alike. The only one that heard her was her mother, who shot her a sharp look. Ash shrugged, "What? This is the first time we've all been in the same room without some sort of argument going on!"

Her dad was busy grinning like an idiot, seated on the bed with his crazy brown eyes fixed on her uncle Critter. "Look at you! Man, you got yourself a job, a car, a _place." _

Critter raised a hand to his red hair when Rex waggled his eyebrows and asked, "What about a girl? You got yourself a lady yet?"

"You're asking me a _ton _of questions, you know that?" Critter said. Pockets smiled, reaching over to ruffle his hair in a very big-brother like manner.

"Hell," He said, "none of us have even heard from you in months. Did you drop off the face of the earth or something?"

"Like you should be talking!" Gears cut in, "all of you like to just leave me without even a call-half the time I think you're dead or something! Every single one of you damn kids do it!" She huffed, "I think you do it on purpose."

Both of her sons grinned at her. Critter stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her, "Sorry, mom."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, "I just wish I'd get to see you all more often, and _without _it being over something shitty like this." She hesitated, "I'm happy you're still walking, Alex."

"When did you gain the use of your legs?" Ratchet asked, squeezing himself into the conversation. Ash raised her eyes to him before glancing back at Sundance, who was passed out on the berth with Demona standing over her.

"A few years ago," He answered, releasing his mom to look at the big yellow medic, "I worked up little by little until I was walking."

All conversations quieted when the med bay doors slid open, revealing Optimus. Ash kept her eyes on Sundance, mind oddly blank. She let her eyes narrow, looking away only when Optimus asked, "How are they?"

Ratchet turned away from the humans to go back to Sundance, "They're both stable for now. Sundance is back in stasis, and a certain _human _should be resting as well."

Ash shot him a glare, finding his narrowed optics on her.

"Ah, give her a break, Hatchet," Rex said, smiling at Ash, "my babys pretty tough."

Ash smiled back, allowing herself to sink further into the pillows. For a second, she entertained the idea of sleeping. Despite all the noise in the room, she'd be able to pass out in a second if she wanted.

"Optimus, is that you?"

Again, everyone shut up. Gears was smiling softly in the big bot's direction, who focused on her immediately. He greeted, "Hello, Ariel."

She lifted a hand towards him in a wave, "It's been a while."

"Too long," Optimus agreed.

* * *

><p>Grimlock rumbled, his footsteps making the floor tremble beneath him as he walked away from the med bay. His cold blue optics were forward, but his processor was elsewhere.<p>

The femme was weak now, hardly more than a walking corpse. She wasn't the same creature that had openly challenged him twice now. And the realization had his spark tight in his chest. He didn't understand why, but he hated it that she was weak. He hated it that she wasn't lashing out at him in defense of her so-called friends or that her optics weren't alive with a fierce, fighting light.

He hated that she was no longer the femme she was.

He didn't bother to acknowledge Swoop when the smaller dinobot joined him, clawed feet clacking along on the tiles. Swoop stared up at him, "How is she?"

"Broken." Grimlock answered, allowing his anger to leak into his voice.

"I told you there wasn't enough of her left to save."

Grimlock snarled, lifting a foot to step on the little mech, who easily jumped out of the way. Swoop vented sharply, "Don't get me wrong, Grim! She's a pretty thing and _primus, _she's got spark, but she ain't gonna be around for long."

Grimlock growled, lip plates trembling as his jaws opened ever so slightly. His optics narrowed, fixing on his soldier.

Swoop stared up at him, "You've got it bad, Grim," he raised a finger to point at him, "I've never seen you get so upset over one little femme."

"She is a warrior," Grimlock growled, "no autobot warrior deserves to offline at the hands of a tiny organic species."

"Since when did you care about other autobots?" A voice stated, drawing both of their attention. Grimlock turned slowly to meet the narrowed optics of the blue medic, the mech creator of the femme they were talking about.

The mech, easily half Grimlock's size, stopped in front of them with his back straight and head raised to glare up at him. His door wings were held stiffly behind him. He added, "When have you ever cared about anyone outside of yourself and your dinobots?"

"Since now," Grimlock growled, matching the mech's dark tone. "Why does it matter."

"Because she is _my _sparkling," The medic said, "she is my _daughter._ And I will rot away to scrap in the pit before I ever allow a couple of slagging mechs," his optics swung down to Swoop, "talk about her like she's just another 'little femme'."

Grimlock waited, sensing the surprised anger rising up inside his smaller companion. The medic swung his attention back to the leader of the dinobots, "Her designation is _Sundance, _and she is not broken. Shes strong, with a spark that burns brighter than either of yours. She fights to protect her family and her home, _not _for pride and glory."

Grimlock snarled, "Watch your tone, medic. I am Grimlock-"

"I _know _who you are," The much smaller bot took a bold step forward, "and I don't care. I'm not afraid of you, Grimlock, because I've seen and fought monsters that would knock you senseless with one hit."

Grimlock stared, optics squinted into a fierce glare that would usually send armies of full grown mechs scrambling in fear. But, just like the femme, the mech stood his ground.

The medic matched his stare almost effortlessly. He finished, a sharp warning laced in his voice, "Stay away from my sparkling."

With that, the medic turned on one heel and started to walk away. Grimlock took a heavy step, the constricting walls around them shuddering, "If she is so strong," he started, voice raised to boom through the hall, "then why did she give up her life to save one pitiful human?"

"Sacrificing yourself for someone is not a weakness, Grimlock," The medic answered, pausing to turn halfway and look at him again, "I hope that you'll understand that someday."

"I saw the damage," Swoop cut in, "you and I both know that there's no way she'll come out of this. Not completely."

"Sundance's lineage is made up of mechs and femmes that refuse to die," he answered, "she's no different."

"Don't lie to yourself, medic," Swoop grumbled, turning away, "come on, Grim. Let's go see if we can find something to blow up."

Grimlock watched the medic walk away, not moving until he was around the corner and gone. Then he turned to follow his mumbling soldier.

The nearly made it to the exit when the entire base shook like a leaf in the wind. Grimlock roared when the alarms blared to life. Someone cried from down the hall, "_DECEPTICONS_!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>They're heeeeeereeeeeee...<strong>_

**Hmm...Grimlock continues to cluelessly develop feelings for our favorite little flier...while Jolt finally lays it down on them. Been waiting for that. It's amazing how becoming a parent changes you. **

**Tell me what you thought. Much love, hope you enjoyed.**

**Sundance and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Bloodstar chuckled softly, bright red optics fixed on the massive frame of her sister as she dropped from the sky, slamming into the roof of the autobot base. Darkfire raised a paw full of lethal talons and ripped an opening into the thick roof with one swipe. The entire structure shuddered down to it's base, threatening to topple beneath the sheer weight of the larger seeker.

Havoc, as sleek and lethal as ever, sliced across the sky with her wings pulled in tight around her body. She unfurled them minutes before flying right into the wall, landing elegantly against using her claws to hang on. Autobots began to spill out of the building, scrambling for their weapons like inexperienced cadets. Shots began to fill the sky, but Bloodstar and her sisters were the best seekers, and they easily avoided damage.

Darkfire stayed where she was on the roof, letting her head drop inside to fill the hallway with armor-melting flames. She shoved off just as something inside exploded. "There's so many," Havoc said, joining them in the sky.

"Pick one and go," Bloodstar said simply, "there's too many-we can't dodge all of them."

"Aerials!" Darkfire snarled as a red shape rose from the flames, armor twisting and rearranging into a rose red cybertronian aerial form.

"It's Demona!" Havoc hissed.

_How interesting..._Bloodstar focused her attention on the traitor, who was rushing towards them with her weapons heated. Darkfire barreled past, face twisted in a snarl. She snapped, "She's mine!"

Bloodstar allowed her to take the femme on by herself. She curled her body in the air, narrowed scarlet optics scanning over the gathering autobot forces. There was a great number of them. She and her sisters were strong and organized, a perfect trine made up of perfect warriors, but even she knew they wouldn't last long in combat against so many.

_Who? _She wondered, plunging down to avoid another round of fire. She counted three or four femmes other than the traitor. The others were mechs of all shapes, sizes, and colors. She spotted Optimus Prime, the infamous Ironhide, Jazz the saboteur and autobot scout Bumblebee. Chromia was there, too. All of them were strong fighters, each with hot, fresh energon coursing through them. Who would she choose? Someone small enough for her to lift into the sky and carry long enough to get out of range of the autobots. Someone just big enough to provide enough energon to fill her.

_'Dinobots!'_ Havoc alerted through their sibling-bond. Bloodstar snapped her head up in time to see a large, sleek form cutting across the smoke-filled sky towards her. She grinned, pumping her wings to accelerate, rushing towards him. He grinned back, "I am Swoop, the greatest of the autobot fliers! Prepare to meet your end, _decepticon!_"

Bloodstar slammed into him, locking her claws down on his thick armor and snaking her long body around him. His blue optics widened comically, a slight yelp leaving his jaws as they began to fall. She whispered into his audio receptor, "Arrogance get's you no where, love."

* * *

><p>Demona forced down a wince when the heavy seeker nearly split her frame in half in a head on collision. She kept focused, every inch of her being in tune to the battle as she set her transformation routines into action, pushing the change as hard as she could. Before her enemy could fall back, Demona was sinking her toe claws into her armored gut and pulling back an arm to bare a single broad blade.<p>

The seeker laughed, like she was simply thrilled to have a challenge, "They say that you killed Megatron twice!"

Demona's optics narrowed, shoving the blade deep between the femme's chest armor, missing her spark by inches. The dragon didn't even seem phased. In fact, she only laughed again, "I believe it, now!"

Demona felt the femme's heavy claws sink into her back, so she wrenched her blade free and went for the throat. The seeker ripped away plates of her armor, causing white hot agony to burn through her frame. She shoved it all down, though.

"You're pretty tough for a little traitor," The seeker rumbled.

"What's your designation?" Demona hissed, "I've never seen you and your trine before."

"I am Darkfire, traitor," The big dragon grinned, tearing Demona away like she was a tick, "and I'm going to end you."

"Many have tried," Demona let herself free fall, transforming one of her hands into a blaster. She shot off a round, the blasts glancing off the dragon's thick armor. _Her armors too thick. _She transformed back into her aerial, pulling her frame up sharply, "but I'm still standing!"

"Not for long," Darkfire hissed, following her into the sky.

* * *

><p>Ratchet was cursing violently, blue optics raised to focus on the roof. Dust was streaming down.<p>

"Shit!" Gears shouted, "Can we spend at least one day in this stupid room without you big ass robots being attacked?"

"Quickly," He said, curling his arms around all the humans and lifting them carefully. There was surprised yelps and a couple of shouted protests, but he easily ignored them. He moved to the other end of the med bay quickly, depositing them beneath one of the berths. Demona herself had created a sturdy little place inside for them in case something like this happened.

"What about Sundance?" Ash cried, sitting up sharply. She winced in pain, gripping her injury.

Ratchet hesitated, turning to look at the femme who, despite the destruction taking place all around her, was still lost in stasis. He had half expected her to jump to awareness and leap into the crossfire outside. It was her nature-she was too much like her femme creator. But she was stretched over the berth, frame slack and body still. She didn't so much as twitch as the entire base rattled again, or as more explosives went off outside. His spark clenched in his chest when he realized that she would never return to the way she was.

He straightened and moved towards her, jumping slightly when something slammed into the roof right above them. He watched the ceiling carefully. Massive claws scraped across metal, then an angry shout echoed above them. The ceiling cracked. The support beams groaned. Ratchet forced himself to focus on Sundance, quickly detaching the support systems and monitors. He let the cables and wires hit the floor until Sundance's body was free of them.

He was gathering her into his arms when someone else hit the roof. This time, it gave in. He bent his form over the frame of the femme, cursing their luck as a massive decepticon fell through along with Demona. They struggled in a flurry of rose red and dead silver. Ratchet moved forward, transforming a hand into a saw. The serrated blade spun, the sound drawing the two femme's attention.

Demona snarled, "Ratchet, get her out of here!"

Ratchet didn't turn back to Sundance, though, even though he knew she was the one Demona was talking about. The big seeker let out a rough, bellowing laugh that sounded like a twisted version of Ironhide's, "The medic wants to dance, too!"

Fierce red optics fixed on him, bright with hunger, "I'll be eating good tonight."

"_Ratchet!_" Demona repeated, voice suddenly strained with fear. He stopped. The seeker chuckled darkly, gazing past him.

Ratchet's optics widened, swinging back behind him when he heard the shift of alloys. Sundance was online, crouched defensively on her berth with her black optics staring directly at him. Her lip plates were trembling, her claws were clenched into the metal of the berth, damaging yet another one that he would have to repair later.

The seeker grinned wickedly, "Who's the runt?"

_She's afraid, _Ratchet realized, watching her as she arced her neck and allowed her black dentals to show in warning. She never turned away from him, completely ignoring the battle between the two femmes behind him. _Afraid of me?_

The seeker pinned Demona in a single complicated motion, tilting her massive head down to bite. Ratchet turned on them, swinging his saw down while the seeker wasn't paying attention. The blade sliced through armor with a sharp cry, sending up sparks. The decepticon wrenched away with a roar, tearing away plates of Demona's chest armor in the process.

Across from them, Sundance coiled her body into a tight 'S' shape with a hiss, the exposed cables in her limbs clenching. She jumped, the berth crumbling beneath the force of it. Before Ratchet could react to either of the dragons, the seeker struck him hard enough to send him flying backwards.

Ratchet's systems went into shock, his processor slowing down. He slumped forward. His optics barely managed to focus on the massive femme in time to see her tear into Demona before shoving off into the sky, sinking her claws into Sundance's sides and taking her with her.

Demona recovered in an instant. The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was the red femme transform in a seamless blur of red and gray alloys before blasting away after the seeker.

* * *

><p><em>'I can't get my claws on one,' <em>Havoc grumbled angrily through their bond. Bloodstar snarled, tearing her talons over the thick armor of the dinobot's wings. He was proving to be a decent opponent, effectively distracting her from her task. He was beginning to bother her.

The mech screeched, twisting away harshly. Her claws left massive tears in his wing. She watched as he struggled to stay in the air. She turned away from him, arcing her lean body down to plummet towards the firing autobots below. Her optics fixed on a small yellow autobot, the scout. He was just the right size to pick up and carry off into the night.

Almost as if knew he was the new target, the little scout moved closer to the towering frame of Optimus Prime. Bloodstar was about to make her move when Darkfire shot out of the autobot base, an autobot in her arms. Hot on her tail was the traitor, her engine practically roaring in rage.

_'Retreat!' _Darkfire ordered, _'and get this slagging autobot off my aft!'_

_ 'We haven't all found ourselves a new friend,' _Havoc hissed, _'why should we retreat?'_

_ 'BECAUSE,' _Darkfire snarled, _'we're getting our afts shot off out here! Besides...'_

Bloodstar pulled up, already fixing her sights on Demona. She blinked when her larger sister finished, _'I found us a new play mate.'_

_ 'This better be worth it!' _Havoc changed course and cut right across Demona's path, forcing her to spiral away. The femme came right back though, dead set on stopping them. Bloodstar came at her next, drawing the fire from her belly to the surface. She spread her jaws wide, the red hot flames spilling out to cover the femme's red armor. Demona arced down, twisting and twirling.

Bloodstar chuckled, joining Havoc as she circled around for her second attack, "She's better than I thought."

"She's leaking energon," Havoc noted, "Darkfire already wounded her. How much longer does she expect to keep this up?"

Bloodstar pumped her wings to accelerate. She pulled them in tight to cut through the air. Demona sensed her and rolled, then turned up sharply to avoid Havoc. It was then that Darkfire abruptly turned, twisting her body to bat the femme right out of the air with a single hit from her thick tail. Bloodstar winced, watching as she simply dropped, knocked senseless from the blow. Havoc swept down and sliced through one of the femme's wings effortlessly.

The trine reformed. Below, a few of the autobots pursued in their alternates, racing across the earth. The seekers left them behind in minutes.

They flew for many hours, until the night deepened and gave way to day. They didn't descend until they were half way across the country.

Bloodstar was the first to drop to the ground, stretching out her wings one last time before folding them at her sides. Havoc drifted down on her right. Both seekers kept their optics on the larger femme as she landed across from them, almost carefully setting the autobot in her hold down as well. Havoc started forward with a low hiss, "At least our trip was not wasted."

Darkfire snarled in warning, sending a glare in the smaller femme's direction, "She's my kill!"

Bloodstar ignored the sharp insult Havoc snapped back, focusing on the autobot instead.

She just stood there, every plate of armor from her nose to her hips completely removed to bare her weak protoform. She was a flier, like them. And, like them, she wore the disguise of what the humans called a 'dragon'. She was a leaner warrior, with a long, elegant neck and an even longer tail. Her claws were long and lovely, perfect for ripping. But what captured Bloodstar's attention the most was the femme's face.

Slowly, the leader of the trine started forward. Her arguing sisters kept at it, completely ignoring her as they got right up in each others' face. Bloodstar paid no mind to them, stopping a few feet away from the autobot to gaze into the empty sockets of her face. Her expression was blank, empty. And Bloodstar realized that her entire frame was covered in fresh scars and wide wounds that had yet to be taken care of. Energon leaked out of her body in thin, glowing streams.

She was injured, and surrounded by three of the most lethal seekers to have ever lived. Yet, she stood at ease, without a sound, without movement. Like a statue. Bloodstar smiled slowly, "You don't understand me, do you?"

The femme was quiet, not so much as shifting her weight or tilting her head to acknowledge her. Bloodstar chuckled and began to stalk circles around her, mentally mapping out her areas of physical strength and weakness. She was strong without being too bulky. Her tail was long, the only part of her still covered in rose red armor, the right length to make elegant or quick turns high in the sky. Powerful. Quick. Balanced. All three parts of Bloodstar's trine, combined into one lethal femme.

A lethal femme that was as clueless and vulnerable as a newly created sparkling, something they could mold into a new weapon.

The ground trembled slightly as Darkfire lumbered towards them, her expression smug as if she had won her argument with Havoc. Her grin turned into a frown when she saw Bloodstar circling her catch. She growled, "Blood, I was the one that found the runt, so I have first feed."

"Look at these injuries," Bloodstar said softly, "look at her face, the way how she stands without fear, when anyone else in her place would be on their knees begging for mercy..."

Havoc ghosted forward, wings spread ever so slightly at her sides as she stretched up to look into the autobot's face. She said, "She was the one the humans damaged."

Darkfire's blinked dumbly, "What? That's impossible! How could someone survive after losing so much energon?"

"I haven't seen this since the first battles on Cybertron," Bloodstar continued, "they must have reached her in time to save her spark, but not in time to save her processor..."

"So what do we do?" Havoc asked.

"We eat her," Darkfire rumbled, "what else?"

"No," Bloodstar said softly, stopping beside the femme. She gently pressed her head against the autobot's shoulder. The dragon resisted only for a minute before she moved, bending to her will. Bloodstar chuckled softly, "this is a gift, sisters, a new beginning."

Havoc continued to study the autobot while Darkfire looked at her like she was crazy. Bloodstar raised her head to meet their optics, "It's time to visit an old friend."

Havoc walked a quick circle around Bloodstar and the autobot, eying the later, "What old friend?"

But Bloodstar was already leading the mindless autobot, who followed almost willingly, away. She was still smiling, processor filled with all of the possibilities that laid before them.

* * *

><p><strong>Very long-winded chapter compared to the recent updates...It's kinda scatterbrained, too, because I've been writing it for almost three days now...sorry. <strong>

**The plot thickens...**

**Sundance and her family, the trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

"_Demona_!" Ratchet snapped, "I thought I told you to _sit down_!"

The femme shot him a glare so sharp it made him forget the threats he was about to snarl at her. It only lasted for a minute, just long enough for her to get off the slagging berth again, before he snapped back into his 'raging medic' mode. He whipped out a wrench, "Back on the berth, youngling!"

"No," She hissed. Her optics flashed, shifting from their usual pale red to a fierce blood-red then back again so fast he almost missed it. _Primus..._She was close to losing her processor again, so enraged that she was completely disregarding her injuries. He needed to get her to clam down. It didn't help that Ash was going completely crazy, or that he had a set of twins that had been smashed together across from him that were trying to start their own trouble. It also didn't help that Optimus and Jolt were leading the team that was sent out to find Sundance, either, leaving absolutely no one to help him with the hard headed femme.

"Calm down, Demona," He tried lowering his tone, reigning in his own anger.

"When _your _wounded sparkling is taken by decepticons," She shouted, turning on him with her fists clenched, "_then _you can tell me to _CALM DOWN!"_

He met her heated glare coolly. She looked like she was ready to start ripping out sparks. He'd only seen her so mad with rage once before, and that had been when she'd gone insane twenty years ago. But, deep inside her optics, there was an impossible fear, too. The kind of fear that had filled Paradox's optics years ago when he'd told her that Demona was offlining.

"Dem," A voice said softly. Demona went rigid, optics dropping to fix on Gears as she staggered towards her across the berth. She was having trouble getting around today, more so than usual. He half expected her to venture off and end up dropping off the berth because of her blindness, but she easily found her adopted daughter. Ratchet watched as Gears made her way to Demona and spread her fingers out across Demona's hand. She said softly, "Baby, I know it hurts like hell, but you can't help her by letting your anger get the best of you."

The change was almost immediate. The injured femme leaned back against the berth, shoulders going slack as if all of her strength and rage had drained out of her. She whispered, optics turned down, "What do I do, mother?"

Ratchet stepped forward again, although cautiously, "You sit your hard-headed aft down and let me tend to your injuries so you can go after her."

Demona shot him a look, although it was half-hearted, but she finally sat down. Gears stayed beside her, hand always pressed against Demona's armor. She started, "Now you know how I felt all those times you kids were taken or went missing...It feels like your heart is tearing to pieces, doesn't it?"

"I can't let her go," Demona whispered, leaning over to press her hands to her face in a very human-like manner.

Again, Ratchet was reminded of Paradox. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "We're not asking you to."

"We'll find her, baby," Gears comforted, "we'll bring her home."

* * *

><p>Darkfire hissed, crouched low with her heavy wings folded in tight against her body to keep from touching the constricting walls of the tunnel. Havoc was antsy, with her body slung low to the ground and her bright red optics darting through the darkness, constantly searching as if a monster would jump out and attack them at any moment.<p>

Bloodstar walked alongside the autobot, guiding her. The young femme followed her direction, keeping up a steady pace despite her injuries. Havoc growled, her voice bouncing off the walls, "Why in the pits did you take us _underground_?"

"Our old friend I mentioned earlier?" Bloodstar started, "this is where he lives now. He like his dark, secret places to plan and dissect theories and victims."

"Just what 'old friend' are you talking about?" Darkfire rumbled, "I'm with Havoc. This place is way too constricting."

"We're _Seekers,_" Havoc tacked on with a snarl, "_not _insecticons or tunnelers. We don't belong here, this is not our place!"

"It is for now," Bloodstar soothed, her tone remaining calm, "get used to it, sisters. We may be here for a while."

Darkfire grunted in response while Havoc slunk closer. The four of them stopped when the earthen walls around them began to tremble. Streams of dirt and stones filtered down, knocked loose from the shake. Bloodstar kept her cool while her sisters both posted themselves on either side of her, both tense and growling.

It didn't take long before the tremble turned into an all-out quake that threatened to collapse the tunnel around them. A massive metal beast drilled through one of the walls, tentacles and appendages uncurling from the twisting alloys and armors that made up Driller. Bloodstar watched as the metallic beast focused on them, like it was sizing them up for an attack. She took a step forward, "Driller, where is your master? We have something for him."

The monster gave a metallic groan that chilled her down to her frame before turning to twist and coil it's body into the tunnel, fitting as much of his frame into the opening as he could. Then, from the shadows of the new tunnel he'd just formed, a shape approached, skeletal plates of armor glinting faintly with the light of his single, large optic. A voice reached them, curling around the seekers' sparks like a frigid hand. "_Who summons me."_

Bloodstar was the first of the dragons to start forward, moving with a predatory ease. She walked without fear, and answered, "I, Bloodstar, and my sisters."

The red optic seemed to narrow. "_What have you brought me?"_

Bloodstar stopped, side-stepping to reveal the damaged autobot. The mech's frame-chilling gaze fixed on her immediately, focusing with interest. He approached, each step slow and menacing. Bloodstar smiled at him, "We have brought you a gift, Shockwave."

Soon he was standing before them, lifting a clawed hand to touch the the jaw of the autobot and pull it down so he could look at her face. Darkfire and Havoc made their way closer to Bloodstar, eying the dangerous mech, who had been known to attack and completely mutilate decepticons as well as autobots. Bloodstar watched as his face plates slowly shifted, his odd mouth twisting into a small smile. He chuckled, the sound low and evil, "_How kind of you._"

* * *

><p><strong>Nope, I didn't forget about Shockwave...or Cyclonus and their bunch, who may or may not be making an appearance later on. <strong>

**Let me know what you think...much love to you all.**

**Sundance and her family, the trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

"How long, now?" Gears asked softly, clouded, pale green eyes lifting to focus in the direction she could hear Ratchet working. She was sitting on one of the human beds, leaning forward with her arms braced on either side of her to keep from falling over. She couldn't quite sit straight, and, pausing his work to look back at her, Ratchet found himself cursing Skywarp in his processor. He cursed whatever had created the human species for leaving them so vulnerable and with such short lives. And he cursed himself for not knowing how to stop her body from declining so rapidly.

He vented softly, "Two days and twelve hours," he moved his optics away from her to the still form of the human child Ash, stretched out with her face turned into her mother's chest, who was laying right beside her like usual. He frowned upon seeing them. Ash had nearly lost it when she realized what had happened to Sundance, and although Ratchet would never fully understand the bond Demona and her family had with these humans, he knew that the two meant a lot to each other. For a while, he had been afraid that the human would actually glitch on the spot with all of her raging and attempts to get out of bed and go after the pit-spawned trine herself. In the end, he had been forced to sedate her.

Jo was sitting on the same bed as Gears, although her posture was the opposite of the older woman's. She was leaning back, one hand on the mattress behind her while the other curved over her round belly affectionately. She said, a look of concern on her face, "Do you think they'll find her?"

"Demona took the time to tell Optimus that her bond with Sundance felt very weak before she took off to find her," Ratchet hesitated, hating himself for saying the words, "there's a chance that they'll find her, but...it's highly unlikely. Sundance's mental state prevents her from recognizing and using the bond she has with her creators to find them."

Gears' expression saddened, and she raised a gnarled hand to push through her graying mane of hair. Jo asked, "Do they know?"

"Without a doubt," Ratchet said, his optics narrowing slightly as he turned back to the support systems and monitors that had been attached to Sundance's frame, "but Demona and Jolt are her creators, and they won't stop searching until they feel her spark goes offline."

"Alec is afraid," Jo said softly, "I haven't seen him like this before. Not since Demona went Terminator on us."

"We can't give up," Gears said softly, almost like she was trying to convince herself, "We've been through everything from Mission City to Egypt, from Megatron to Galvatron...there's gotta be a break somewhere, and it's not going to be us."

Ratchet paused, turning back to them briefly. But the two human females were silent, faces plagued with worry and sorrow.

* * *

><p>"I feel like I'm losing my fucking mind," Rex said darkly, brown eyes losing their light as he dug around in the human sized pantry. What few humans that lived at the autobot base had taken off with Optimus and the different search parties to find Sundance, so there was hardly anyone left. The cooks were gone. The cafeteria was empty save Pockets, Critter, Rose, and himself.<p>

Pockets was leaning against one of the tables, his massive arms wrapped around his daughter like a shield while she slept, nose buried in his chest. He was watching her sleep, looking exhausted himself. He said, "I know what you mean."

"Do you?" Rex challenged, straightening his lean form to examine the box he snagged from inside the little room, "My daughter is still critical and she's freaking paranoid, and I just know she's going to make a break for it as soon as no ones looking. Not to mention that freaking _Sundance, _out of _everyone, _is blind, brain-dead, and kidnapped."

Pockets shot him a glare, "They're both my nieces, Zach."

"You know, I thought that this shit would end with Galvatron, but no." He tilted the box and then turned it around once he realized he had it upside down. He squinted, "We're still getting our asses shot off by the decepticons, and there's no one left to even fucking lead them!"

"I don't think it'll end until they're all dead," Critter put in, standing by himself a short distance away with his green eyes turned down in thought.

He blinked and looked up when Rex snapped, "Well how many of them could be left? They're like friggin' cock roaches! They just keep crawling out of the cracks and swarming every time we turn our backs on them!"

Critter frowned but said nothing.

Rex huffed, walking into the little kitchenette, "How long is Optimus going to search for Sundance?"

"I don't know," Pockets answered, "until they find her, I guess."

"Ratchet doesn't think they'll find her."

The larger of the three straightened, "What?"

"Didn't you see that look on his face?" Rex pulled out a bunch of pots and pans before settling on a medium sized one. The was bumping around the kitchen, making a complete mess of things. Pockets could tell that he was getting frustrated.

He pushed, "What look?"

"Like that look he gets when he knows shits about to hit the fan," Rex paused, twisting around to raise an eyebrow at him, "You know what I'm talking about. That look he gets when he knows we're doomed."

"We're not doomed," Critter said, narrowing his eyes.

"We're pretty damn close to it!"

"Ash is going to be okay," Pockets tried to soothe his friend's growing rage, who was just about throwing things by now, "Ratchet said she's recovering, remember?"

"Not in the head! Alec, she's loves_ the SHIT_ out of Sundance! If something worse happens to her, she'll go insane!"

"And what do you think will happen to Demona? And Jolt?" Critter asked, making both of the older men still. They both looked at him, seeing an odd expression of calm on his face. He continued, "I _know _Sundance and Ash grew up together, but Demona is her _mother._ How would you feel if Ash or Rose was taken like that?"

Rex hesitated, then seemed to deflate. He let his shoulders sag with a sigh, "I hate this."

"So do I," Pockets agreed softly.

Rex turned away from the mess he'd made to lean against the counter and tilt his head back, dragging his hands down his face, "God must hate us."

"No, he just gives us as much as we can handle."

"That's a lot of shit to handle, Pockets. Ash, Sundance...Rae."

Pockets settled back against the table. His green eyes went back to Rose when she shifted, wrapping a hand in his shirt, "How's things going with her?"

"Hell, I don't know," Rex said, sounding defeated and completely out of character, "I love her, so _much, _and I want to be with her, but she just won't let me in. It's like she's built up this wall just to block me out...and I'm so happy just to see her again, but it's like a knife in my heart every time I see her because I know she won't take me back."

Pockets looked up, looking twice when he realized that Rex was staring up at the ceiling, and that there was a _tear _on his face.

"And Ash...she's still mad at me from when she dropped by my house a week ago. I just don't know what to do anymore, man. It's like the entire world is falling to pieces around me, and I just can't put it back together fast enough."

"Zach..."

"And I swear to fucking primus, if you walk out of here and share this conversation with anyone else, I'm coming after you," Rex snapped, glaring at them.

Pockets smiled weakly, "You said Primus."

Rex blinked before rolling his eyes and going back to cooking.

* * *

><p><em>Where is she? <em>Demona shot across the sky, red optics turned down. She tried to reach through her bond with her oldest creation again, but it was so weak and strained she could hardly see the light of Sundance's spark. She could hardly sense a direction, never mind pinpoint an actual location.

Jolt was all the way on the other side of the country, leading his own little band of autobots while Optimus, Ironhide, and Jazz searched else where with their own teams. The autobots were stretched out across the states, and although a few reported running into a couple of decepticons, none belonged to the trine.

Which, in a way, was fine, Demona decided. Her spark curled with rage inside her chest as she spiraled, breaking off course to hunt elsewhere. She could still remember the look on Starscream's face when she mercilessly tore through him like he was nothing, punishing him for attacking her sparkling. He had torn like tin beneath her claws. These new seekers would suffer the same fate, if not worse. She would make sure of it.

_'I can't feel her.' _Demona's form tensed, reacting to the soft voice of her son. Flashback was reaching for her, _'Mom, why can't I feel her?'_

_ 'Because she isn't awake, sweetspark,' _She answered, shoving down her rage so she could wrap him with feelings of love and security. _'Sundance is still resting.'_

_ 'Then how did she just run off like that? WHY would she just run off?'_

Demona vented softly, wondering the same thing. Sundance had been deep in stasis when the trine attacked, and not even the roar and shake of explosions could rouse her. She'd only onlined when that pit-spawned seeker had slammed Demona into the roof of the base so hard they fell through. Was it Demona's voice that had drawn her out of stasis? Or was it something else?

_'Please bring her home.' _

Demona vented softly. Flashback repeated, _'Promise you'll bring her home.'_

_ 'I will, Flash.'_

He stopped talking, but he didn't pull back. He kept his spark close to hers, holding on to their bond as if it would vanish if he let go. She held him, splitting her attention between him and finding Sundance, trying to reach the very faint light of her spark. But there was a great distance between them, one that was damn near impossible to meet.

* * *

><p><strong>Got over the bump...By 'got over' I mean, sat down with a die-hard determination to write and rewrite until I had the damn chapter down the way I wanted it. I'm working on the next update for Hell Hounds as we speak, so it should be up tomorrow. <strong>

**I know I said on DA that I'd have Sundance's character sheet done by yesterday or today, but, aside from forementioned obsession to write this update until it came out right, which it still didn't but oh well, I have had to make more trips to the doctor, which is seriously beginning to grow tiresome. I swear, I've been halfway across the state and been in like four different hospitals since all this shit happened in April...**

**Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Much appreciated. It always makes my day to read them.**

**Anyway, much love. I hope you enjoyed. **

**Sundance and her family, the dragon trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

_'Demona.'_

The femme barely heard the worn tone of her adopted mother, focused solely on keeping a consistent speed as she tried to grasp on to the weak bond she shared with her only daughter. Sundance was still alive. She was still here. _But where?_

_ 'Demi, baby,' _Gears tried again, _'come home.'_

_ I can't do that. _Demona clenched her hidden dentals, grinding them together as she pushed herself harder. She flew down the road.

_'It's been weeks. You need to come home.'_

_ No. _She cut around a curve sharply, easily, and pushed on even though her frame ached with hunger and exhaustion. _I can't rest. I must find her, I must find..._

_ 'You haven't slept. You haven't eaten. You and Jolt will die if you keep this up, you'll burn right out.'_

_ Not until I find my sparkling. _She had stretched out her bond with Optimus a few weeks ago, when he had begun to give off feelings and thoughts of doubt. He was giving up, the other autobots had already quit. She would not. She would never stop searching.

_'It's been a month. We don't even know if she's still alive.'_

_ I know in my spark, I still feel her. _And it was slowly pulling Demona to pieces, of having her first sparkling so close but at the same time, impossibly far away. She could just barely feel the light of Sundance's spark, but she couldn't reach through to her. She couldn't speak to her. She couldn't hear her. But she could _feel _her. And for Demona and her mate, that was enough.

_'The boys miss the hell out of you...They keep asking when you'll be back.'_

Demona cut across a human's path, mere inches away from knocking him right off the road. He honked the horn madly at her, but she didn't so much as glance at him. _Where is she?_

_ 'Ash has disappeared, too. Rex and Shark are losing their mind over her, they've been all over the states and they haven't found her, either.'_

_ She's searching. _Demona made a turn, following the very faint glow of her creation's spark. Her processor briefly turned towards the young human, who she knew was on the same desperate hunt that she and Jolt were on. Ash had gotten up and walked out as soon as she was able, wounds, attitude, curses and all. Not even Ratchet had managed to snatch her up before she left the med bay. Rex couldn't convince her to stay. She just left.

_'It scares the hell out of me.' _

_ Me too. _

_ 'After the whole Galvatron shit, I thought we'd be done with this...but I don't think it'll ever go away. We're cursed to suffer through this crap until we die...'_

Demona went off-road when she hit traffic, dropping down into a sharp incline and tearing into the trees.

_'I just...I need you home. You and Jolt, both. I need you home...please come home, baby.'_

_ You know I can't leave her. _Demona cast her hidden optics to the right when headlights turned on somewhere deep in the patch of woods she was driving through. She sensed an energon signature, and for the first time in her life, she didn't care. She didn't even make the small effort to see if he was decepticon or autobot. She just kept driving, ignoring the briars and vegetation that snagged at her undercarriage painfully. The other mech drove beside her, keeping a good distance so she couldn't make out his form. She easily forgot him.

_'Please say something, Demona.'_

"Don't ask me to come home," Demona finally answered, voice soft with exhaustion, "I can't do that. Not while she's in danger."

Gears sighed, sounding relieved and sad at the same time, _'Your sons need you, too, Demona. Don't forget that.'_

With that said, Gears closed the phone call, without saying 'good bye' or 'love you', like she always did. Demona felt her spark sink a little further. She loved all of her creations equally, but she couldn't stand the thought of just abandoning one of them, if even for a minute. But Gears had made a point..._Primus, help me. _

A little bit of tension eased out of her spark when Jolt reached through their bond to gently grasp her spark. It was the first time he'd reached out to her in days, and she had almost forgotten how it felt. She reached back to him in the same manner, seeing his own exhaustion and spark-wrenching worry. She promised, _'We'll find her, love.'_

He said nothing.

Demona left the woods and swung back up to the road. Her visitor followed, slipping into the space beside her with ease. She finally looked at him, and her spark nearly stopped.

Sleek and silver, small and agile. _Jazz. _

Her optics narrowed, feeling the slight tug on her strained bond with Prime that told her he was near. _Frag it all. _She dug deep into her reserve, preparing to transform and jet the pit out of there. She revved her engine to pull ahead, but the shiny little Solstice beside her whipped into the place ahead of her. Demona snarled. Jazz said, knowing she wouldn't open a com link, "Not so fast, Dem!"

"Get out of my way, Jazz," Demona warned. More energon signatures popped up seconds before Sunstreaker and Sideswipe joined them, a mech on each side of her. Rather than panic, Demona's spark curled with anger.

"No can do," Jazz stated, tone dead serious, "we've been ordered by the Prime to bring you and Jolt in."

She ground out, "Last chance, mechs. Stand down and let me pass."

"Or you'll what?" Sunstreaker challenged.

Sideswipe jumped in, "Fly away? Drive faster? Fight? You're on the verge of dropping into a stasis on the spot."

_I'll do something, _Demona thought angrily, _something that will make you regret crossing my path. _She reached through to Jolt, pulling on his spark to get his attention, _'Optimus has sent out autobots to take us in. Be careful.'_

A breath of annoyance reached her from his end. He was just as happy about it as she was. Demona felt the presence of her adopted mech creator as he approached from the rear. She didn't want to fight, but she wasn't about to give up her search. Demona revved her engine and shot forward, slamming the nose of her alternate into Jazz's rear. His tires squealed over the pavement as he swerved. A single tire dropped off the road, his body at slight angle. Demona took her chance, barreling through the small opening before the twins could retaliate. Jazz was shoved off the asphalt completely, and the two younger mechs scattered after her, engines roaring.

Jazz shouted, "_Demona_!"

She ignored them, racing away. She felt the strain on her body instantly, alarms going off in her processor telling her that she needed to refuel and recharge immediately. When she didn't slow down, the warning turned into an order to see a medic. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe came up to flank her on both sides, although they were struggling to keep up with her. She smirked when she realized this-she'd been on the road for a little over four weeks without more than an hours worth of rest at a time and no refueling, and she was still the fastest bot in the autobot ranks.

Just when she thought she had a chance, the yellow shape of Bumblebee drove right across her path, forcing her to put on the brakes and veer off the road. She tried to straighten out, but she was sliding across a spread of gravel and her wheels turned uselessly. _FRAG! _She slid to a stop as all five autobots rolled off the pavement easily and circled her.

_Get in the air! _Demona pushed her transformation routines into action, slagging determined not to be captured. She hadn't been so set on trying to escape them since she was still a decepticon, and the irony of it didn't go unnoticed.

She shifted rapidly, shoving off the ground to spiral into the air. She almost got away, too, if a big hand didn't reach up and close around one of her wings. Optimus wrapped both hands around her like a vice and pulled her down with him as he arced his jump and came back down to the earth. His tires were still spinning when he set Demona on the ground in the center of mechs, each having transformed.

Demona stayed where she was, trembling slightly, though whether it was out of rage or exhaustion she didn't know. The transformation had taken a lot out of her, which was why she hadn't tried it in the first place.

"Demona," Prime started, sounding very much like a mech creator scolding his young, "you defied a direct order and put Jolt and yourself at risk."

She said nothing, letting Jolt know through the bond that she hadn't been able to escape. He informed her a second later that he hadn't either, and that Ratchet was escorting him personally back to the autobot base. She bit back the snarl that threatened to tear out of her vocal processor. When Prime realized she wasn't going to respond, he vented softly and pressed a hand to his optics, "Please speak, youngling."

_I must find her. _Demona entertained the idea of trying to take flight again, but she knew she didn't have the energy to go far if she did manage to get away. Her thoughts stopped when the autobot leader took a step closer. She said, tone low and laced with warning, "_Don't _touch me."

He hesitated, kind blue optics scanning over her frame. They saddened, "You've changed."

"When you lose your sparkling and everyone tries to keep you from finding her," Demona hissed, "you tend to drop formalities."

"We're _not _tryin' to keep you from findin' her," Jazz stated, an annoyed look on his face plates, "we want to find her too, Dem. What we're trying to do, is keep the two of you from pushin' yourselves right into offlinin'."

Demona transformed, forcing herself to stand with a straight back before them, her posture betraying the weakness in her frame. Her red optics fixed on Prime, narrowed, "You're asking me to abandon her."

"We will find her," Prime promised, "but you can't help her if you're in the med bay."

"My point exactly."

"Demona-"

"She's in decepticon hands," Demona whispered, clenching one hand into a fist, "we can't waste time arguing. I need to find her."

"You are to return to the base and report to autobot med bay," Prime said, hardening his voice and optics, "that's an order, soldier."

Demona slowly raised her optics back to his, narrowed into a glare that rivaled Megatron's. She clenched both fists, the armor on her wrists raising to allow her rose-red broad blades to slide out. His optics widened slightly. The others went rigid, stunned. Demona challenged, "I'm not taking any more orders."

"Demona, don't do this."

She slid easily into her defensive stance, "No one is going to stop me from finding my creation. Not Gears, not you, not even Primus himself."

"You're slaggin' crazy!" Sideswipe exclaimed, optics wide, "you've lost your fraggin' processor!"

_'Demona-'_ Jolt started, voice so urgent it jerked her out of her thoughts. Her optics widened as he abruptly faded, falling rapidly into a stasis lock. She felt her own systems grow heavy and she staggered. Her processor and spark slowed down, the exhaustion and hunger suddenly becoming too much. She hit the ground, offlining seconds before she made contact.

* * *

><p><strong>Meant to post this yesterday, but I had Pre-op for my surgery yesterday and I was at a hospital an hour and a half away from the house for like four hours. Having blood drawn from your arteries is NOT fun, BTW. <strong>

**Anyway, a little four week time skip from the last chapter. No sign of our dragon...**

**Let me know what you think. Much love.**

**Sundance and her family, friends, the dragon trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not. **


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 63**

Ash lifted her pale eyes to the sky. It was open, with no clouds and as blue as the ocean. Bright and beautiful. It was warm, but not hot enough to make her sweat. And there was a breeze, but it wasn't windy enough to drive her crazy. The perfect day for a drive or a trip into town...it was also the ideal time for flying.

Her eyes softened, and the now familiar ache in her chest flared up. She used to love days like these, when she'd sneak out of the house and go looking for something to get into because she knew that her best friend was never too far away, taking advantage of the nice weather to stretch her wings. Ash would stand in the open and stare up for hours sometimes, just waiting for her to fly past. Sundance always appeared at one point or another. She'd circle elegantly above, and drop down almost silently with a powerful beat of her wings to soften her landing.

Ash was standing in the open, on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere beside her beaten up white Viper. She had been waiting here, looking up at the sky all morning. She couldn't help but hope with all of her heart that the big ass red dragon would magically appear, even though she knew in her gut that she wouldn't.

"I must be going fucking crazy," Ash said softly, even though she was completely alone out here, "hell, I was wonky to begin with...My parents played a part in an alien war, my best friend is a giant mechanical dragon..."

She let herself lean against the hot side of her car when she started to get tired. It was the longest she'd been on her feet since what she and her family had dubbed 'the tragedy' before Sundance was taken away. Her side still burned, and her arm didn't quite work as well as it used to. She was hungry. She was tired. She was dirty. And she still hurt. But she was on her feet, and still moving, and that was all that mattered.

"Where are you, Sunny?" She whispered, "why can't I find you?"

_It's been over a month. _

"I hear that aunt Dem and uncle J are still looking," She continued, "they need you. I need you."

Distantly, she noted the sound of a car coming towards her. Ash ignored it, still looking up. She kept talking to the wind, like she had come to do recently, "I know I promised I wouldn't give up on you, but dammit...you're making it so hard...where the hell are you?"

Gravel rolled beneath tires. The slight screech of bad brakes interrupted her thoughts. She slowly turned away from the sky to look at the old kidnapper-looking van as it came to a stop beside her. The window rolled down and some hippie poked her head out. She didn't say anything at first, just frowned as she took Ash in.

Ash frowned right back, looking all the part of a teenage runaway with no money and no place to go. Other than home, of course, but then that would completely ruin her cause. The hippie's eyes ran down her form before landing on her face. She smiled like a goofy moron, "You lost?"

"No," Ash answered, voice raising just enough to be heard.

The girl kept smiling, "What 'cha doin' out here in the middle of nowhere?"

Ash glanced back up at the sky, "I'm searching for someone."

"Who?"

"My best friend," Ash said honestly.

She nodded like she understood Ash _completely_, "Yeah, I feel ya." She paused, looking over Ash again, then said a little slowly, her smile faltering, "you got scars all over you. I've never seen scars like that before."

Ash blinked. She started to call her 'fucking blind' when she glanced down to her arms, and was once again reminded. There was several red and pink blotches all over her arms. Scars from energon burns. The memory of trying to drag Sundance as far as she could while they both bled out in the dirt flashed through Ash's mind. She looked away from the hippie and her curious boyfriend, who was leaning over now to see.

"How'd you get 'em?" The girl pushed.

"I tried to save someone's life," Ash found herself answering, even though every ounce of her being told her to get in the car and drive away. "When she couldn't walk, I tried to carry her, but she was too heavy...and we both burned."

"Whoa..."

Ash tensed, looking back at the two. The guy was practically in the girl's lap now, eyes wide, "That's deep, man."

She raised an eyebrow, "What are you two doing out here?"

"Tryin' to get away from the parents," The girl answered with a grin, "if your cars broke down, we can give you a ride."

"The cars fine," Ash dismissed, "I should actually be on the road now..."

The hippie bobbed her head, "We need to get goin', too." She paused as the guy slid back into the driver's seat. A look of sincerity crossed her features, "I hope you find your friend."

Ash studied her for a moment before saying, "Me too."

She watched them as they started off again, driving along at an easy pace. She waited until the were out of sight before looking back up at the sky. The child in her waited for the massive red dragon to land before her, feather's splayed and red eyes glowing.

Ash stood there for a moment longer before turning away and slipping back inside her beat up car. She stuck the key in the ignition and pulled back unto the road, starting the search once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this update is so short after such a long time.<br>**

**I had my surgery...and although IT went well, my recovery time didn't. I was in the hospital for a friggin week when I should have been out after a few days. Why? Because Harris has shitty hospital staff that doesn't take care of their patients outside of telling them to get up and walk every freaking hour of every freaking day. It's been a few weeks, but they had to collapse one of my lungs to get to my cyst and my bladder stopped working so I couldn't pee, and both took time to recover...There's a whole list of fun things that have made my life joyful lately, but I won't bore you with them.  
><strong>

**Anyway, we finally catch up with Ash. I have no idea how she got her hands back on her car. Or why she almost started spilling her guts to a couple of hippies driving a kid-napper van. Meh.**

**Ash, Sundance, and her family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Demona onlined slowly, feeling ten times heavier than what she really was. The first thing she noticed was the pulsing ache searing through every inch of her frame. The second thing was that she was laying flat on her back, over the familiar steel of a med bay berth.

Her optics lit, dim at first until she could focus on the rafters above her. She blinked slowly, reaching through the strained bond in her spark out of habit. She stretched as far as she possibly could, seeking out the presence of her oldest creation. Her spark seemed to recoil when the femme didn't reach back, as it always did.

"You're awake."

Demona shuttered her optics. She didn't respond at first, not even when Geas' familiar scarred hand passed over a plate of her armor.

"I know it's hard baby. You just want to give up, don't you?"

"I could have stopped it," Demona whispered, looking back up at the ceiling, "I could have saved her. I failed."

"I know it feels like it," Gears leaned against her completely. Demona tensed slightly when she realized that the woman was lighter than she remembered. She said nothing about it though because her processor was soon back on Sundance, a voice inside her ripping and tearing at her for letting this happen. Gears kept talking, "But you can't fail your baby until you stop loving her. And I know you love her, you and Jolt both."

Demona shuttered her optics again, feeling the dark pit of rage open inside of her, calling for her. She knew that if she fell into it, she'd be unstoppable. She would be free to search, and no one could stand in her way. She could find Sundance. She could bring her home. She would do it for the sake of her sparkling.

A sharp pull on her spark alerted her that Prime was watching her carefully through their bond. He sent her a wave of warning, voice echoing through her, _'No, Demona.'_

She considered ignoring him, but a bigger tug on her spark made her decide against. She finally moved, scanning the room for her mech. Jolt was no where in sight, so she checked their bond. He was nearby, though she could sense that he was still in recharge. Gears, as if she knew exactly who she was looking for, said, "They put him in a separate room in case the two of you decided to gang up and make a break for it."

Demona vented softly, turning her head to look when the med bay doors hissed open. Her optics focused on Ratchet, who was busy yelling at Ironhide. The much larger mech was limping along behind him. They both fell quiet when they saw her online, their optics widening. It took a minute, but Ratchet said, "You're...online."

Demona hesitated before asking, "Where's Jolt?"

"The next room," Ratchet started, walking towards her while Ironhide hobbled over to a berth, "how are you feeling?"

"Tired, sore, heavy," She answered.

He raised an optic ridge, "Of course you are. You two were on the verge of falling into a forced stasis lock when we hunted you down. It's a wonder how you're even online right now."

"How long was I out?"

"Three days." He reached over her to fiddle with something. When she turned her head to see, shock curled around her spark. She was hooked up to some kind of life support, similar to what he had Sundance on but not nearly as complicated. Ratchet continued, "You were dangerously low on energon. You've been on support since we brought you in. I should throw you two into the brig for putting yourselves through this."

"They were just trying to find their baby," Gears whispered.

"I can't let her go," Demona added. Ratchet stilled, blue optics landing on her's.

A sort of understanding or recognition seemed to pass through his gaze before he said, tone unusually soft, "I know you can't, youngling. I just wish that you had let us help."

He left her then, turning to Ironhide with a glare, "How many times does this make this month? Primus, Ironhide."

Ironhide grunted a response. Demona turned her gaze back to the ceiling, shutting out the noise to sink into her thoughts. She was slipping back into recharge when her spark pulsed. Suddenly she was being pulled. Seconds later the door slid open again and little feet rushed inside. Ratchet turned to see who it was but before he could say a word or move to grab the little sparklings, Demona was on her side and leaning over the berth with her hand reaching for them.

Flashback and Backlash practically flung themselves at her, latching on to her like a life line. She carefully curled her fingers around both of her creations and lifted them. She reached through her bond with them, throwing it wide open to fill their sparks with her love. Their own came rushing back to her, nearly making her dizzy with it's intensity.

Demona brought them close, spark swelling as they held on to her. Backlash chattered at her so fast she could hardly catch anything he was trying to tell her while Flashback seemed to bury himself in her armor. She didn't notice that the med bay had fallen quiet and every optic and eye was turned on her, or that Gears had stepped away from her. For the first time in weeks, calm flooded her, and she laid back and allowed it to soothe her into a slight recharge with both of her creations in her arms.

* * *

><p>Bloodstar lifted her head, red optics fixed on the massive mech when he approached the 'berth' they'd made out of dead mechs. Sprawled out across it was the autobot femme, deep in a medical stasis. Shockwave wrapped his claws around her sleek head and lifted it, turning it as far as he could without snapping her neck joints to examine his work.<p>

It had been a considerable amount of time since she'd brought the 'brain-dead' autobot to him, and he'd made a lot of progress. Although her sisters hated it down here, especially being around the mech himself, Bloodstar found him fascinating. She noted every piece of the autobot he altered, down from little improvements like sharpening her claws to massive makeovers, like reconstructing her chest armor and putting her shattered processor back together.

It was like watching an artist create his masterpiece, and it never failed to entertain her. Bloodstar crossed her arms and glanced to the earthen wall as the ground trembled. Seconds later, Driller's massive body filled the entry way of the room, seeming to focus on Shockwave who made a sound like static mixed with a snarl. The mech waved his hand nonchalantly in a direction, and the massive serpent left them.

"Have you done this before?" Bloodstar asked after a moment, slowly turning back to Shockwave. He kept working, not so much as glancing in her direction to acknowledge her. Bloodstar didn't push for a response. Even though she admired him, she didn't trust Shockwave. She was just as afraid of him as her trine was, though she'd never show it.

She watched him for a moment more before turning down to her claws. They were coated in old human blood. She considered cleaning them but froze when she felt the mech's intense stare on her. Bloodstar slowly lifted her head to gaze back, finding him stone-still, bent over the autobots' frame. His single red optic was fixed on her, chilling her down to the core of her frame.

"Yes," He answered after a moment.

"How much longer?" She continued.

He turned back to the femme and ran his claws over her bare spine, tapping them over her hip joints when he reached them, "Very soon..." He kept one arm stretched out over her back to touch her hips while he lifted her head with the other, tilting it in the artificial light so it caught the ugly scars around her optic sockets. "what a fine gift you have brought me, Bloodstar."

The femme eased slightly, "You deserve only the finest, Shockwave."

His odd mouth shifted, the plates rearranging enough to form something that looked like a smile, though it was twisted. He went back to work then. Bloodstar observed for a few minutes longer before laying her head back down. She smiled to herself slightly, showing off her massive fangs.

* * *

><p><strong>We've finally caught up with everyone.<br>I'm really enjoying writing Shockwave as a creeper. Very fun. **

**I should have another one-shot for Reflections up soon...A funny one, cause we all need a good laugh. :)**

**Sundance, her family, her friends, Bloodstar and her trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

"I'm starving," Darkfire snarled, giving Havoc a sharp look when the smaller femme bumped into her. She shoved Havoc back then raised her head and rolled her shoulders, "and I'm getting sick of being underground."

Bloodstar lifted her head, and said, "Then go above ground and hunt."

Havoc glided towards Bloodstar after taking a moment to carefully scan the 'room' for Shockwave. The mech was no where in sight, but she still ducked down beside Bloodstar to say, "Come with us, sister. It's been weeks since you last fed."

"Yes," Darkfire growled, starting towards her, "you need to keep your strength up in case our _friend _decides to use _us _for his little experiments."

"No fear," Bloodstar soothed, crossing her arms. She arced her neck, tilting her head to eye the autobot femme still spread out over the berth. The process of reconstruction was near completion. It was only a matter of days before Shockwave finished creating her new armor and pulled her from stasis.

Slowly, the leader of the trine rose to her feet. She approached the autobot, "What do you think, sisters?"

"Think of what?" Darkfire asked, snorting, "you're losing it, Bloodstar."

"Should we make room in our ranks for one more seeker?" Bloodstar continued quietly, walking a slow circle around the unconscious femme, "another sister..."

"No," Havoc tucked her wings in close to her body and gave her sister an odd look, "there is no room for any one else in our sisterhood. We were sparked this way, we will always be three, no more, no less. Any other way and we wouldn't know how to function as one in battle."

"She has a point," Darkfire said after a moment, coming to stand beside Bloodstar. She tilted her head, "why is this one so important, anyway? The last time decepticons tried to revive and turn an autobot, she ended up being a mass murderer to the entire decepticon faction. What will make this one any different?"

"Because this one's spark has yet to extinguish," Bloodstar answered, "The Reaper, the femme you speak of, was offline when Shockwave got his claws on her. But this one...light still shines from her spark. It is simply a matter of recovery and rewiring the processor. Once Shockwave brings her back, we will fill her processor with false memories, make her believe that she was one of us from the day she first onlined her optics."

Havoc stepped into place on Bloodstar's left, opposite of Darkfire, "But what...memories will we give her?"

"Well, if she's not a sister to us...perhaps she could be something...closer."

"What could be closer than a trine-sister?"

Bloodstar didn't answer. She simply stood and gazed down at the femme's face. Shockwave had finished repairing her optics today, and Bloodstar couldn't wait to see them shift from autobot blue to decepticon crimson. She also couldn't wait to start fabricating a web of lives to feed the femme when she onlined. It would be like writing an entire novel, then watching it play out in real life.

After several minutes spent there, a sister on each side of her, Bloodstar dismissed softly, "I want to be here when she wakes. Go feed, sisters. Terrorize an extra few humans for me."

Havoc inclined her head before slipping away. Darkfire grunted then turned, following their much lighter sibling. Bloodstar remained where she was. More time passed as she sifted through all of the possibilities in her processor. It wasn't long before Shockwave's cold presence filled the cavern, his voice reaching her to curl around her spark like a cold hand, "She's coming along, much more smoothly than the last."

"I never doubted you," Bloodstar said. The mech approached, moving slowly with a sort of predatory grace she'd never seen before. She forced herself to remain calm when he eased his claws around her bottom jaw to turn her face towards him. She stared into his single red optic without flinching, allowing him to tilt her head from side to side slowly, as if he was examining a new project.

After a moment, he asked, "Tell me, Bloodstar, how do you feel about sparklings?"

She tensed slightly, "Shockwave, I don't..." She trailed off when he chuckled darkly. He released her and turned back to the femme. She finished, "I don't understand."

"You will." Shockwave said quietly, slipping his claws down the rib-like protoform on the autobot's side almost lovingly. Bloodstar studied him with narrowed optics, taking a slow step away when he sank into his work. Once again, he turned to the femme's processor to make a few more adjustments.

Bloodstar left him, walking with silent steps to the place she'd been occupying for the past weeks she'd spent here. Her gaze never left him, not even when she was out of striking range. It wasn't the first time the mech had made her uncomfortable, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

><p>Critter sighed, passing a hand through his thick red hair. This dating stuff was hard, especially when he was being pressured into it by everyone in his family, from his crippled mother to his adopted crazy blonde brother. Thank God Demona hadn't started in on it, too. He just might go insane if she joined in.<p>

"Is it that hard to believe that I'm happy alone?" He asked outloud as he pulled into the drive way of his half of tiny little duplex. He pulled the key out of the ignition after he rolled his windows down an inch or so to keep it from getting to hot tomorrow. Then he leaned back in the seat of his trusty Bronco, pressing his hands to his face and dragging them down tiredly.

It was going alright. She was really cute, and super sweet and smart. They clicked, talking to her was so easy. He could tell she was nervous at first, but so was he. And then she got comfortable, and it started. She'd started that whole footsies crap, and the second she felt his thin, awkward calf through his jeans, she freaked.

He'd tried to explain. He wasn't some creature, he swore, it was just that he' been born with a bad pair of legs. He'd had them all his life, and that it wasn't until he was twenty something that he actually learned how to walk or developed enough muscle to do so.

She freaked out even more.

It was the first time in years that he felt weak and useless. Why couldn't he have been like his brother? Pockets was so tall, so strong. He'd carried full grown men off the battle field when the autobot-decepticon war was underway on earth. He'd survived being cut open, completely crushed. And Critter? His worst wound had been a broken leg, and that happened because his legs were already weak to begin with.

He couldn't take it. So all he said was 'thank you' and 'good bye', then he paid for both of their dinners and left.

Finally, Critter mustered enough energy to get out of the car and walk up the concrete path to his door. He pulled out his keys and set his hand on the knob with the other. He froze when he realized that his front door was _unlocked. _

He never left his door unlocked, not even when he was home. Stuffing his keys back into his pocket, Critter put himself on full alert and slowly turned, then pushed open the door. He waited in the doorway in case some sneaky little con's leaped out with their claws bared to carve him up, picking up one of his neighbor's flowerpots to chunk as a last defense.

When nothing happened, he took a cautious step inside, eyes narrowed and flashing all over his tiny living room. He just about jumped out of his skin when a cabinet shut in his kitchen and a light flashed on. His eyes opened wide when a familiar teenage girl stepped around the door way to lean against his couch. She stared at him with raised eyebrows, taking a bite out of a big apple, "A flowerpot? Really, uncle Critter?"

"...Ash?" Critter started.

She smiled. It suddenly struck him how much she looked like Rex. Slowly, he lowered his chosen weapon of destruction, "What the hell are you doing here? We've been looking every where for you!"

"And if you tell my parents, I tell my dad that you're gay, and you'll never hear the end of it."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Really, Ash?"

She shrugged. Pockets set the flower pot down outside before stepping inside and shutting his door, locking it, "And how in the world did you get in here?"

"My mom was a master thief," Ash said, taking another bite. She chewed for a second, "is it so hard to believe she gave me those genes?"

"Your mom was homeless."

"Okay, whatever. Let's just say that hiding your spare key under the welcome mat in front of your door is like a big red target that screams, 'Hey! Break into my house and steal all of my shit!'"

"You're sixteen years old. You shouldn't be saying 'shit'. What are you doing here?"

Ash sighed, looking down at the apple as she turned it in her hands, "I've been trying to find Sundance, but I don't have a clue where to start. Really, I've just been driving around all over the place...my car broke down somewhere around here. I knew you were nearby, so I decided to drop in and make myself at home in your kitchen."

"This day just gets better and better," He muttered. He paused, studying her. Her clothes were old, stained and tattered. She looked thinner than what he remembered, which was pretty damn thin. He could see her energon burns, bright almost-glass smooth splotches up and down her arms. There was even one on her face, on her cheek. He remembered her story, how Sundance had kept walking until she couldn't hold herself up anymore, how Ash had stood beneath her and held the weight of her head for her for as long as she could.

"So...this whole time..." Critter leaned against his door to take some weight off his legs, "you've been searching for her."

"Finding her is all I can think about. She's like the sister I've never had. You know what that feels like, uncle C? Where you're not related by blood but...you know that you could walk to the end of the earth and she'd still follow you to make sure you were safe?"

"Yeah," Critter said, "I know exactly what you're talking about."

"I just...want her back, dead, alive, whatever. I don't want her to be stuck with those stupid fucking decepticons. She should be home, with us."

Critter straightened and walked towards the kitchen, "Go take a shower. I'll wash your clothes and fix you a real dinner. You can crash here for a few days."

Ash perked up, head snapping up in his direction. Critter kept talking, "Tomorrow, we'll drive out and I'll see if I can get that piece of shit Viper back up and running."

"Hey, don't hate on my baby." Ash turned to an old military looking duffel that she'd stashed between the couch and the end table, and dug out a pair of fresh clothes and practically raced to the bathroom, "Thanks, uncle!"

"Your welcome." He called back. Critter went to work pulling out pots and pans. He paused long enough to lift the remote and turn on the tv so he'd have something to listen to while he cooked. He froze when he realized what was on, and turned slowly back to the TV to watch a flustered news reporter speak.

_'…An entire family vanished today. Neighbors say that they were gathering at the lake for a family reunion. The police was called in when the sighting of a so-called 'beast' was reported. As of now, there are no known survivors. This makes the first attack in nearly two months. Officials say...'_

He blocked out the rest, leaving the spaghetti to cook while he stepped away to dial his adopted sister's number on his cell. Like always, it rang only once or twice before she picked up, sounding exhausted, _"Brother? What is it?"_

"They're back," Critter said, glancing back at the TV in time to see the scene shift from the reporter to the lake, which looked a complete war zone, with broken trees, smoking fires, the whole nine yards. "The 'cons are back."

* * *

><p><strong>Finally picking up speed again...won't be long until things get crazy. <strong>

**It feels odd writing Critter as an adult...it makes me sad for some reason. **

**Shockwave, what exactly are you talking about?**

**Sundance and her family, the dragon trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

"Ash!" Critter shouted, throwing open his front door in time to see her slide her body into the driver's seat of his beat up Bronco, "What in the HELL are you doing!"

"What's it look like?" She shouted back, "I'm jackin' your ride!"

"Ashlynn John! Get _out_ of my car!"

"No!" She picked out the right key and stuck it in the ignition. Critter started towards her, pushing a hand through his wild red hair. It was too early in the morning to be doing this crap. He hissed softly as his bare feet padded over the hot concrete path-it was no where close to noon and the sun was already trying to set the earth on fire.

She hurried, twisting the key in the ignition with one hand and throwing down the emergency break with the other. Critter kept walking towards her, knowing from experience that she wouldn't get the damn thing to start on the first time. His Bronco was old and cranky, and it never started on the first try. Luckily, she didn't know this.

She was cursing by the time he reached the passenger and opened it. He leaned inside and grabbed her by the wrist, looking her in the eye when she snapped a glare at him. He ordered, "Get out of the car."

"No," She bit back, eyes narrowed in a stare that would usually send people running in fear. It was a special glare, the same kind her mother had, and it would have probably freaked him out when he was younger, before he'd been kidnapped and tossed around by decepticons.

He met her glare evenly, "Ash, what's gotten into you?"

"Didn't you see it?" She whispered, "on the news. Those fucking dragons are back."

"How do you know it was them and not some rogue or something?"

"I just do," She hissed, "they're the ones that took her, I have to follow them."

"And just what do you think you're going to do when you find them? Grow twenty feet and punch them in the throat?" Critter watched as all of her bravery seemed to seep out of her. She huffed. He continued, softening his voice a little, "Demona and Jolt will find her, Ash."

"And what am I supposed to do? Go back home and wait? I can't do that."

"Then I'm going with you." Critter let go of her wrist and swung his legs inside and shut the door.

"What!"

"You heard me."

"Well, no offense uncle C, but I'm sure the big ass dragon decepticons will be shaking in their boots when they see you in those Ninja Turtle pants."

He raised an eyebrow at her. She continued, "I mean honestly, you look like you could take on Megatron himself-"

"I get it!" Critter snagged the keys out of the ignition and stuffed them in his pocket, "I need to get my wallet anyway, and you need as many full meals as you can get, so we're not skipping out on breakfast."

"But the 'cons-"

"'But' nothing!" Critter said getting back out. He turned back around to point a finger in her when he heard her shift in the seat, catching her bent down with her hands reaching beneath the dash. "And don't even think about trying to hot wire this thing, it's wonky as it is."

She shot him a dirty look, sitting back to cross her arms over her chest.

He smacked his fist on the hood of the Bronco, "Come on, kid!"

"I'm not a kid!"

* * *

><p>"We're ahead of schedule," Havoc observed quietly, standing close to Bloodstar with both optics on Shockwave who was across the room. "Is everything in place?"<p>

"Down to the last plate of armor," Bloodstar answered without looking away from the autobot femme, "he's completely rewired some of her core functions. She'll be a killer like the rest of us, not a noble hero."

"Most that have severe damage directly to their processor don't survive," Havoc continued, voice softening further, "what if she doesn't recover completely?"

"Then you and Darkfire can eat her corpse," Bloodstar said simply, "until then, she is one of us."

Darkfire settled down beside them, "So, Shockwave, when do we get to meet our new little seeker?"

"Patience, Darkfire," Shockwave answered, turning away from his work berth to approach the autobot with some sort of tool. He slid his claws beneath her chest, turning her to her side to bare the new pearl-white armor on her chest. He lowered the tool, placing the needle-like point to her chest plates. Sparks flew when he began carving.

"I was thinking of a new designation for her," Bloodstar started, optics brightening as she watched him carve the decepticon badge on her armor. "I was thinking...Lunar Song."

"Lunar Song..." Havoc repeated slowly.

The trine waited in silence until the mech finished branding the femme. He set his tool aside and dipped his claws beneath his project's head, lifting it. He tucked a few claws on the other hand beneath her twisted white horns. Her systems started with a soft whine, her body jerking slightly and her new wings pulling in tight around her body. He lowered her head back to the berth and stepped away.

Bloodstar stood up, blocking out everything else as she focused on the femme.

Slowly, the new seeker's optics onlined, a vivid crimson that put Megatron's to shame. She blinked then lifted her head to gaze at them. Bloodstar chuckled softly when the femme's face filled with a certain cruelty that decepticons were famous for.

Bloodstar stepped forward, the ex-autobot's head snapping in her direction to fix her in a sparkless stare. The white femme stood up as if to defend herself, talons curling to punch deep holes in the bodies of dead mechs that made up her berth. Bloodstar realized, for perhaps the first time, just how young the femme was. Suddenly, she understood Shockwave, why he had mentioned sparklings a day or so before.

Bloodstar started to walk towards her with slow, even predatory steps. The white femme fixed on her completely, waiting. The leader of the trine continued, "You were damaged in a battle against Optimus Prime and his soldiers. We have been trying to revive you for a very long time. If it had not been for Shockwave, we would have lost you to the wounds the autobots gave you."

"Who am I?" She asked, voice ice cold but musical at the same time.

"You are decepticon seeker Lunar Song," Bloodstar stopped a short distance away from her, lifting her head to stare the femme in the optics, "and you are my creation."

The femme's optics softened ever so slightly, recognizing the word and it's meaning. She arced her neck and touched her nose to Bloodstar's, "I am Lunar Song, and you are my creator."

Bloodstar smiled slowly.

* * *

><p><strong>OH SNAP.<br>****I WENT THERE.**

**Shits gonna hit the fan when momma finds out.**

**Be honest, how many of you saw that coming?**

**Much love.**

**Sundance and her family, the dragon trine, Lunar, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

Demona onlined when a shot of frozen dread pierced her spark. She twisted sharply, pushing herself up as her wide red optics fixed on the south wall. Her sparklings felt it, too, because they jumped to awareness beside her. Flashback stood up so fast he fell backwards on his rear, exclaiming, "Mom! It's-"

"Sundance," Demona finished, hope swelling inside of her. She ignored the painful ache deep in her frame and started to stand. She managed to stay on her feet, curling a hand around her two sparklings to keep them from stumbling off the berth.

_'She's online,' _Jolt whispered through their bond, coming online as well, _'but where?'_

"I don't know," Demona answered out loud, reaching through her bond with her oldest creation. It felt different now, wide open, as if the femme had never been so close to death in the first place. It was open, blazing with life, but...something was wrong.

"What in the _pit _are you doing up, youngling?" Ratchet snapped as he walked into the med bay. He paused when she didn't so much as look in his direction, completely focused on Sundance and their bond. Demona was still trying to reach out to her, but even though it was open again, it was still strained...stretched so far her end felt cold.

"I can't reach her," Flashback said, voice filling with panic. He turned to stare up at Demona, "Mom, why can't I reach her!"

"I..." Demona's spark clenched in her chest, "I don't know, sparkling."

"Demona!" Ratchet started. When she finally turned to him, his tone softened slightly with concern, "What's wrong?"

"Sundance is online," Demona said. The medic's optics widened. She turned back to the south wall like she could see through it, "she's online, but we can't reach her."

It took a moment, but the mech reacted, venting sharply, "Can you touch her spark at all?"

"No," Demona looked back at him, "Ratchet, something's wrong."

"Are you sure she didn't just-"

"No, she's repaired," Demona interrupted, "It's like she's right here, _online _and _whole_, but I just can't...reach her."

He vented again, "Tell Optimus." He started walking around the med bay, "Now that she's online, you should be able to track her more easily. Whatever happened, it can't be good. We need to locate her and bring her home."

He started moving around the medbay, picking up things and stashing them in his subspace. He pointed a wrench at her while she followed his order, "And this time, I'm going with you to make sure you don't run yourselves into the ground. Now come help me."

Demona joined him, moving ahead of him to pull tools and supplies out as he named them. Jolt slipped inside somewhere in the middle of it all and joined in.

* * *

><p>"We should take her out for a test flight," Darkfire started, watching the white femme with narrowed red optics, "to see what she can really do."<p>

Havoc hissed, crouching down with her wings closed tight around her body, "She's only been online for a few hours and I already don't trust her."

"You don't trust anyone that smells like an autobot." The larger of the two snorted, cutting her a look.

"I don't see you treating her like an old friend, either," Havoc snapped.

Darkfire hummed deep in her chest, a thick cloud of black smoke leaving her nostrils. She narrowed her optics, watching Lunar Song carefully. Since she'd onlined and Bloodstar had begun weaving her web of lies, the white femme had been right beside her like a loyal sparkling should be. And Bloodstar...it was easy to see that their sister was enjoying it.

Darkfire stood up, walking towards Bloodstar. Lunar Song swung her head around in her direction the second she sensed the movement, fierce red optics narrowed and lip plates raised slightly. The larger of the three met her glare evenly, stopping before the both of them. She addressed Bloodstar, "It's time for us to surface. You both need to feed to keep your strength up."

Bloodstar turned to her 'creation', "Are you hungry, little one?"

"Yes."

Bloodstar stood up then, walking past them, "We don't have energon, I'm afraid. It's not as nourishing, but human blood will keep you full, just until I can give my dear sparkling an autobot to feast on."

Darkfire raised her head, narrowing her optics as the two started towards the tunnels. Havoc glided to her side, saying, "It looks as though we've been replaced."

"I should have eaten her when I had the chance," Darkfire agreed darkly. The four femmes made their way out of the darkness in silence, surfacing.

Bloodstar looked over all of them before pushing off the earth. Lunar Song followed without question. Darkfire and Havoc were last to take off, the four falling into an uneasy formation as they ascended into the air.

* * *

><p>"Do we even know where we're going?" Critter asked, switching lanes. When Ash didn't answer, he glanced at her, "Do you ever know where you're going?"<p>

"Honestly?" Ash said, pale eyes narrowed and staring out the window, "I don't ever know where I'm going. I just go."

"Then how do you expect to find her?"

"I don't know," Ash said softly, "I guess...that I'm really just waiting for her to find me."

"She was the only solid thing in your life, wasn't she?" His voice was softer, eyes narrowing slightly but staying fixed on the road.

Ash didn't say anything. She just kept staring out the window, slack in the seat. Critter turned at the stoplight, starting, "If these are really 'cons, then they're feeding on humans because they've got no access to energon."

Ash blinked, finally looking at him. Critter continued, "Mechs usually need to refuel once or twice a week to stay strong, but they can stretch it out for two or three if they need to. I've seen Demona go without for over a month, but it puts a huge strain on her body and really slows her down. These 'cons went without for about a month. They were starving, so they probably hunted as close to their hide out as possible."

"You're saying that they're close to the lake," Ash summarized.

"Exactly. And if that's the case and those really are 'cons taking all these people...we've got a big problem."

"Bigger than what we've already got? Really, Uncle C?"

He ignored her tone. "Human blood can't be as sustaining to them as real energon, and that family was just enough to keep them online, so they'll surface again soon, probably in another day or so. And it'll be a complete massacre, a lot worse than any of the attacks before."

"How the hell do you know all of this?" Ash asked suddenly, "I've known Sundance my whole life and I didn't even know that shit."

"Well, my sister is the daughter of an evil war lord," Critter deadpanned, "after she became a member of our family she made sure everyone of us knew any and every weakness a mech could possibly have, down to starvation. I've also been a decepticon prisoner, so I've seen what happens when they get hungry."

"Wait," Ash turned to him completely, "you were a prisoner?"

"Twice," He answered, "It took me fifteen years to get Skywarp's face out of my head."

"I had no idea..."

"No one likes to talk about it," He glanced back at her, changing subjects as if to prove his point, "so are we going to the lake or what?"

"You got any better ideas?"

"Yeah," He muttered, "go back home and leave it to the autobots."

* * *

><p><strong>I honestly don't know how often they have to refuel, I didn't look it up so I apologize if I got it wrong. I just put down what I thought was believable. <strong>

**Looks like everyones finally on the move...can't wait to get down to the really good stuff...and I haven't forgotten about the dinobots. Grimlock will be back in action soon. Jetfire, too.**

**...And we have some conflict in the new little seeker family already. We'll see where that takes them.**

**Much love.**

**Sundance and her family, the trine, Lunar Song, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

"How the hell do you get around so fast?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow at Critter who was several feet ahead of her already. He didn't stop, or even look back at her. He just kept walking on those super thin legs of his.

They'd been walking for what felt like hours, and it was only getting hotter. They couldn't quite make it to the actual site on the lake where the family was slaughtered since it was still swarming with cops and men in suits. But they were going to get as close as they could.

"Uncle Critter!" Ash tried again.

"Hurry up!" He finally shouted back.

"I am hurrying!" She snapped.

They stopped when they could spot the tell-tale uniforms and cruisers in an open area on the bank. Critter finally stopped, crouching down slowly. Ash followed his example, dropping down beside him. They were silent for a moment, simply observing. There was just a handful of men there, and they all looked like they were on break rather than trying to investigate a crime scene. Some were even laughing about something. Ash could could about five of them, and only a few of them were actually snapping pictures or trying to gather evidence.

"Do you see those marks in the dirt?" Critter asked suddenly, voice soft like he was telling her a secret. Ash dropped her eyes from the uniforms to the earth, searching. She tensed slightly when she spotted what looked like a row of deep tears in the earth, like someone had taken a handful of knives and ripped it open.

"Those are the marks Sundance makes when she jumps off the ground." Ash whispered back, "I told you it was those fucking dragons."

He cut her a sharp look.

"It's sick as hell," She shuddered slightly, "decepticons eating humans. What the hell is the world coming to?"

"I'd say the shit pretty much hit the fan when they first landed on earth," Critter deadpanned.

"So what do we do?" She asked.

"Going after these things was _your_ idea," Critter snapped, "why the hell are you asking me?"

She huffed, "Alright, you said that this wouldn't be enough for them, that they'd need a bigger...dinner."

Critter went rigid, "_Shit._"

"What?"

"There's supposed to be some festival on the square in Springtown today." He fumbled in his pocket for his phone, "Shit, shit, shit. All those people, in one place!"

"Fuck!" Ash hissed, jumping up and taking off towards the car, "Hurry up, uncle C!"

"Slow down, Ash!" He snapped, stumbling after her while he dialed a number and held the phone up to his ear.

Ash was already charging back through the trees when he exclaimed, "Demona! We know where the seekers will attack next!"

* * *

><p>"We need to go to Texas," Demona stated over the the public comm link to the other autobots, "Alex says that the seekers were sighted at Pelican bay."<p>

_'That's not enough,' _Prowl replied almost tonelessly, _'Just because one human speaks, it doesn't mean we should drop everything and come to his aid.'_

Demona felt a twinge of anger in her spark, but she smothered it. It came right back when Optimus agreed, _'Prowl is right. What else can you tell us?'_

"Those seekers are starving," Demona said almost shortly, pausing when Jolt sped up and bumped into her gently from the rear in warning, "Alex makes a point. If they're feeding on humans then they have no access to energon. Human flesh can't sustain them, so they must consume much more than what they would of energon. If they've been in hiding for a month, they're going to hunt as much as they can as close as they can to their lair."

An odd silence filled the link. She vented sharply, "So if they were sighted at Pelican Bay..."

_'Then that's where they have Sundance.' _Jolt whispered.

Her spark pulsed with hope, "Yes." She added after a moment, "He said that there's a 'festival' of some sort nearby where there will be enough people to feed all three of them."

_'Demona, transform and return to base.' _Optimus started, _'I want you to gather the other aerials and go to Texas. We'll need all the help we can get in the air. We'll be there to assist you as soon as we can.'_

Demona was already shifting forms, flying through the change as she shoved off the earth and into the air. She spiraled over them and tore away, rushing back towards base. She opened a new link, calling her adopted brother. He answered immediately, sounding flustered, _'Sis, where are you?"_

"We'll be there soon. Where are you?"

_'On our way to the festival.'_

"Primus, _be careful._" Demona vented sharply, "I've lost my sparkling, I won't lose my brother, too."

_'We'll be careful, I promise. Just worry about getting here.'_

"I love you, Alex," She said softly, "I'm on my way."

_ 'Love you too, sister.'_

* * *

><p><em>Beautiful. <em>Bloodstar watched Lunar Song from the corner of her optics, the pale armored femme in the middle of a steep dive towards earth. At the last possible moment, the new decepticon showed some of her skills and pulled her entire body up gracefully and barrel-rolled. The talons of her massive wings left deep gouges in the earth. She straightened out and angled her body so the wind lifted her back into place on Bloodstar's left. _She's beautiful. _

Darkfire snorted from the rear, "Is that all you've got, brat? That's nothing. Havoc could fly circles around you."

Bloodstar chuckled, tilting her head back enough to glance at her sisters. She knew they weren't liking the new arrangement, and she couldn't quite bring herself to care. They'd get used to it. Eventually.

Havoc swept up towards them so fast Bloodstar hardly registered it. The smaller femme cut her knew creation a challenging glare before stretching her wings out and pounding them down. Her little body shot forward, armored plates flattening to let her slice across the sky like a dagger. Lunar Star tensed but didn't pursue. Her red optics were on Bloodstar, who smiled and said, "Go, sparkling. It's been too long since you've tested those wings."

Without a word, the younger femme followed her, and the two danced across the sky. Bloodstar watched them carefully, tilting her head slightly in Darkfire's direction when she came up to fly beside her. "What do you think?" Bloodstar asked.

"She's skilled, I'll give her that," Darkfire rumbled, red optics narrowing, "are you proud of your new little creation?"

Bloodstar chuckled, "Can you imagine the look on their faces when they realize who she is? The autobots won't know what to do with themselves..."

"When do we attack?"

"Patience, sister," Bloodstar hummed softly, "we feed and we rest. If she means anything to them, they will come for her."

"And if she doesn't?"

"They're autobots. Optimus won't leave one of his own behind." Bloodstar looked down to scan the earth, "they won't stand a chance against us, and we will finally eat our fill of real energon."

Havoc spiraled up towards them sharply, calling, "I smell humans." She looked at Bloodstar, "our action?"

"Lead the way, sister," Bloodstar said softly. Havoc pulled her wings in and dove. One by one, they followed.

* * *

><p>"Do you seriously think we can help?" Critter asked, looking at all the people walking past.<p>

"Is this country bumpkin city or what?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. She jacked with the door handle until she managed to get the door open, "and you really need a new car. This is just...sad."

"Your dad was driving a pinto for the longest time," Critter muttered, "don't talk to me about crappy cars."

Ash shot him a look, "At least you could get the door open on the first try." She then slid out of the seat and stood up, slamming the door shut again.

Critter let his head hit the seat, "Because I can't have a normal weekend for once." He got out of the car and rushed after Ash, who was already crossing the street on her way to the square. He trotted after her, wincing when one of his legs started to hurt. He really needed to sit down for a while, he was straining himself too much today.

When he finally caught up with her, she was standing in the middle of it all, tense with her head back and narrowed eyes watching the sky. Critter stopped beside her, shifting his weight to give his hurting leg a break, "What are you-"

"Look at the birds," Ash whispered. Critter hesitated, then looked up. There was a flock of them passing over, scattered into mismatched groups and almost scrambling to get away. A cold hand fisted in his gut as he realized what she meant. He took a slow step back, dropping his eyes to the oblivious people walking around them. Kids were running all over the place with their faces painted and their hair spray-painted in bright colors. There was a group of teenagers standing around a little dunk tank. All kinds of people, all ages.

And not one of them knew what was coming.

"Ash," Critter started, "we should-" They both jumped when a thunderous roar shook the air around them. He fisted his hand in her shirt and yanked her down with him to the ground as one of the dragons swept down over them, so close they could smell the rotting flesh in it's mouth and feel the heat of it's body.

"_See_! What'd I tell you!" Ash shouted. Critter ignored her, wide green eyes fixed on the dragon as it tilted it's wings up and pulled into the air. People were screaming now, scattering like the birds. A few feet away, a mother was lifting her child into her arms. She managed to turn before a second dragon dropped out of the sky and snatched them both and tossed them in the air. The third one joined in, stretching out her neck to close her jaws around the airborne family.

Ash went rigid as their blood splattered across her face. Critter pulled at her, "Ash, run!" She finally moved, getting her feet beneath her. She ended up pulling him along this time, pushing him back up. They ducked beneath a wing, turning around to make a run for it only to find a fourth landing there.

Ash froze, eyes wide and locked on the white dragon, who beat it's wings to soften it's landing and stretched out it's claws almost elegantly. Critter's heart pounded, "I thought there was only three! Ash, there's only supposed to be..."

The white dragon suddenly rushed them, long jaws open and lethal black teeth gleaming. The red optics were bright and incredibly _red. _So red and cold, it brought old memories crashing back to him. He could do nothing but stand there, paralyzed, as he looked into those eyes and remembered the time Demona went insane and slaughtered Megatron's entire camp.

Beside him, Ash whispered, "_No._"

* * *

><p><strong>OH MY GAWD this chapter is scattered all to hell...I'm so sorry.<strong>

**Sundance and her family, friends, the dragon trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

The white dragon's maw was spread wide, splayed wings casting heavy shadows across the earth. Critter stared with wide eyes, almost paralyzed by the sudden wave of deja vu that swept through his body. He could do nothing but stand there. His legs were weak with fear and strain, trembling. She was only a few feet away when Ash moved, snapping him out of his memories. He whirled around in time to see the girl take a step _towards _the dragon that was leaning forward to eat them, mouth open and a look of horror on her face.

"_Ash_!" Critter shouted, tightening his hold on her shirt and nearly throwing her out of the way. She hit the ground with an 'oomph'. Critter ducked and rolled, the skin of his arm brushing the dragon's lower jaw, the mouth snapping shut over thin air. He popped back up to his feet so fast his head spun, taking an unsteady step back when the dragon slammed it's clawed hand into the earth beside him, serpentine neck twisting elegantly to fix those same heartless red optics on him.

A low hiss left the decepticon's flared nostrils. He ducked beneath the dragon's chest, finding Ash still on the ground staring. He reached down and hauled her back up, "Move your ass, girl!" He pulled her ahead of him and shoved her harshly. She stumbled but came back to the present, stepping into a run that he had to work to keep up with. They were forced to take a sharp left when one of the first dragons slammed into the ground and scooped up a family of three into it's steam shovel-like jaws. Critter winced when he heard their bones crunch and their voices die mid-scream.

Everyone was running now, scrambling to find shelter. Others were smart and bolted for the cars across the street. Women screamed, children cried. Stands were crushed and a couple of mustangs painted like indian ponies galloped past with their eyes rolling. The dragon that had just landed leaped back into the air. A much smaller one swept down in it's place, spreading her jaws wide and unleashing a jet of red flames that lit a t-shirt stand on fire.

Ash was a ways ahead of him now, seemingly driven by her own fear. Either that, or she forgot that he was a cripple. Critter huffed, heart clenching when he heard a little girl scream at the top of her lungs. He focused on her, standing paralyzed while one of the larger dragons started towards her slowly. He pushed himself to run faster, clenching his teeth when pain shot up his legs. He opened his arms and dropped them down to close around her. She immediately turned into his chest, arms and legs wrapping around him so tight he could hardly breath. "I've got you," He whispered, taking off after Ash's shape.

He managed to carry her to the road before his weak legs gave out on him. He hissed in pain when his knees hit the gravel, tearing his jeans. He kept an arm tight around the child, taking a moment to make sure she wasn't hurt before trying to get to his feet again. He snarled when his knee snapped and he fell back to the ground. "Dammit!" He cast a look around, the sound of chaos growing closer as the decepticons spread out to the boundaries of the square.

A few people ran past. He reached his arm out for them and shouted, "HEY!"

One of them paused, eyes wild and spooked like a frightened animal. His fingers twitched, gaze fixing on him. Critter clenched his teeth, "Help us!"

He almost did, taking a careful step back towards them. Critter held his breath, continuing to hold his arm out towards him. He said, "I can't walk-my legs. Please! Take her!"

The child hugged him even tighter, shaking her head like she didn't want to leave him. The guy didn't move. He narrowed his eyes, "Save her! Get her out of here!"

He took another step. Critter lowered his arm and used it along with his good leg to haul himself a foot closer. He tried again, forcefully, "You _have _to get her to safety!"

One of the dragons roared, sounding frighteningly close. The man jumped then turned and bolted, leaving Critter and the child alone. Critter shouted, "You asshole!" His Voice was strained with pain and exhaustion, dropping to a desperate whisper, "Where the hell are you, Demona?"

He brought both hands to the little girl and tried to pull her away from his chest, "you need to run. You have to stand up and run-"

"No!" The girl shook her head again.

"I can't save you!" Critter clenched his fist in the side of her dress, "I can't..." He squeezed his eyes shut, "you have to let me go and run!"

"No," She repeated. Critter gave up, dragging them both another foot or so before the gravel rolled around her and someone dropped to their knees beside them. Small hands slipped under his arms. Critter snapped his head up and almost sighed with relief. He took in a shuddering breath as Ash tried to lift him up.

Ash made a face, "Fuck, uncle C! For such a scrawny guy you weigh a ton!"

"Forget me and get the kid out of here!" Critter snapped.

She glared at him, "Hell no! I'm not leaving you here to turn into decepticon chow!"

He winced when she tried to pull him up again, shifting one of his damaged legs. He wrapped his fist in her collar and jerked her down, "_Listen_, Ashlynn! I can't even stand, I'll just slow you down!" She froze, eyes widening. He continued, finally peeling the child's arms off of him, eyes narrowed and locked on Ash's, "Now, you _take _this girl and you _save _her! I want you to carry her, run as fast as you can, don't look back, don't stop. For _anything._"

The ground shook. Another person rushed past, sobbing.

"No." Ash snarled, "I'm not leaving you."

Critter swallowed, looking back in time to see one of the beasts stand up on their rear legs and spread their massive wings across the sky. For a moment, it blocked out the sun. He looked back at Ash, taking the girl, who was fighting to get back to him, and shoving her in the teenager's arms. He whispered, "You have to."

"I'll carry you both," She argued weakly, "I can save you!"

"No you can't." He bit his lip before reassuring, "Demonas on her way. She'll stop this. I'll be okay, I promise. When this is all over, we'll go back to base and give 'em hell for letting all this shit happen." He smiled tiredly.

"Don't die," Ash said, pulling the child against her chest, "I swear to God, Primus, whoever, that if you do, I will drag your ass back from the afterlife and beat the hell out of you."

"Go, Ash. Be brave."

She hesitated before getting to her feet and running. Critter, now that his arms were free, twisted his body and pulled up his pants legs as much as he could. His jeans were wet with blood now, the skin had split over his bony legs and he could see where his knee had popped. He cursed his luck for being born this way, turning to his stomach and pulling himself along with his arms. A few more people ran by, completely ignoring him. There wasn't so much screaming as their was proud roars and the sound of the dragons tearing through the stands.

He couldn't believe that it had all happened so fast. The earth began to shudder and shake in rhythm. His heart pounded in his chest as a low rumble sounded directly behind him. He crawled faster, forcing his legs to work to help him get across the street, but he just wasn't as quick as he used to be.

Massive clawed hands landed on either side of him, trapping him, and a nose slipped down to tuck against his side and flip him over to his back. He found himself staring up into fierce red optics. It was the second largest of the four, skeletal armor painted black and silver with touches of red. The jaws were slightly open, bloodied lip plates twitching. Thick streams of human blood rolled down the jaw to drop to his chest and soak through his shirt.

Critter narrowed his eyes and glared up at the dragon, showing no fear even though he had a feeling that this was it. He waited without a word, not even trying to get away.

The dragon eased closer then _chuckled. _

Critter went rigid, digging his fingers into the gravel beneath him so hard it bruised his fingers. He asked, tone dark, "What's so funny?"

"You're a brave little human," The dragon said in an undeniably female voice. She tilted her head slightly, "Most of your kind are either screaming or begging for your life. You act as though you have no fear, like you've been facing hungry decepticons all your life."

"You're not the first."

She tilted her head the other way, "Is that so?"

He said nothing this time. She asked, "What a pathetic race you humans are. Here you lay wounded, yet none try to save you. Does it make you sad to know that you've been abandoned by your own race?"

Critter held his breath, trying to think of something to say to stall her. She added softly, grinning slowly, "That you'll die alone?"

"He's not alone!" A voice shouted.

Critter went rigid again, eyes widening. He twisted to see, cursing violently when he saw Ash standing in the middle of the street a ways down. She stood tall, shoulders back and a defiant look in her eyes that screamed Shark. There was still blood splattered across her face, and there was a new hole in her shirt she'd probably gotten from all their ducking and diving. He glared at her, feeling a tiny bit relieved when he noticed that she didn't have the little girl...which raised all new questions and fears.

What happened to the kid? Did Ash find a safe place for her, maybe even her parents? Or did something happen?

"Ah," The femme hummed in amusement, "more prey."

"Prey my ass!" Ash snarled, "You're going to pay for what you did to Sunny!"

Again, Critter tensed. He repeated quietly, "Sundance?"

The femme raised her head gracefully, her grin gone, "Sundance? Was that her name?"

"Damn right it is," The teenager pulled out what looked like a BB gun and raised it in one hand, aiming it at the dragon who chuckled darkly.

"And just what are you going to do to me, little human?"

"Ash! Run!" Critter shouted. The dragon snorted, turning away from him. He screamed in pain when she stepped on his legs, shattering them from the knee down.

"Leave my uncle the fuck alone," Ash warned, "and give our Sundance back to us."

"Make me," The dragon challenged, stalking towards her with her head low to bite. Critter writhed, clenching his legs and screwing his eyes shut. Ash aimed, and pulled the trigger.

The BB struck home, getting the dragon right in the center of her left optic. With an enraged roar, she reared back and raised a hand to claw at her face. Ash quickly pumped the gun back up, stepping back. The dragon landed back on all fours. Ash shot again, but the BB bounced off her cheek and pelted the ground uselessly.

"Catch me if you can, bitch," Ash challenged, backing up then turning to run.

By then a second dragon had come to her aid, drawn out of the festival by her roaring. It was the small one, quick and agile with her optics narrowed. She started after Ash, but stopped when the other snarled, "NO! She's _mine_!"

The larger of the two took off, charging after Ash like a lioness taking after her prey. Critter forced himself to function through his pain, turning slowly to try to pull himself away. He was forced to stop when another set of claws blocked his path, the smaller of the four dragons leaning down to bare sharp little lethal fangs in his face.

_Fuck._

* * *

><p><strong>Bahahahahaha. Ash is going to end up getting herself in trouble.<strong>

**This one was fun to write, let me know what you think.**

**Ash and her family/friends, the trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

Lunar Song snarled, pulling her lip plates back. She dove elegantly, curling her body around a pair of humans to cut off their escape. They stared up at her in pure horror, and the pit that was her spark almost sang because of it. She knew deep down that she was a decepticon, she knew that this was natural to her. She was a predator, she was born to hunt.

She ducked her horned head down and snapped both humans up in her jaws, and crushed them between her teeth with a quick twist of her head. Their hot organic blood rolled down her jaw and down her plated tongue. Their bones crushed easily, and she felt their struggling bodies stiffen for just a moment before going slack in her hold. She tilted her head back, expanding her throat cable so that the first body slid down her neck. She swallowed, feeling the human's body fill her stomach just a little bit more. Her body still raged with hunger though, despite the fact she'd consumed several little humans.

She was tossing up her second catch when Darkfire smacked into her, knocking her off balance and making her stumble. The boneless heap of flesh bounced off her face and hit the ground, where the larger femme scooped him up and wolfed him down before Lunar Star could so much as look at him. The moon-colored femme whipped around in Darkfire's direction with an ugly snarl, "That was _my kill_!"

Darkfire bared her thick teeth, crimson optics narrowing, "It becomes anyone's the moment it touches the ground." She straightened up, shaking slightly so that her heavy plates of armor slid back and forth over her barrel-like body. She added, voice packed with warning, "and watch your tone with me, _youngling._"

Rage flooded Lunar Song's mind. She turned completely to face Darkfire, slamming her claws down onto the gravel and spreading her wide wings. She opened her bloodied jaws and roared, pulling the sound from deep in her chest. It echoed through the air, causing a few left over humans to cry or whimper in fear from their hiding places.

Darkfire blinked, surprised, then grinned wickedly. She started towards Lunar Song, every step making the earth quake and groan. She didn't bother showing off her wings to intimidate-the size of her body alone was enough to overpower Lunar Song. But the younger femme didn't care, stubbornly holding her ground even when the seeker's shadow fell over her like a black blanket. Darkfire stopped before her, every bit a monster of a femme from her size to the mad hunger in her optics.

Darkfire raised her heavy head, "It seems you've forgotten your place, Lunar."

"Or you have forgotten yours!" Lunar Song snapped, "last I checked, my creator led your trine, _not _you!"

The grin twisted into a snarl, "I will _put _you back in your place then."

"I do not fear you," Lunar Song said tonelessly.

Darkfire flexed her claws, tensing her broad shoulders. She abruptly lunged, moving much faster than Lunar Song anticipated. The massive seeker dropped her horns and head butted Lunar Star in the chest with enough force to send her staggering back. Lunar Song vented heavily, dropping her head to bite. Shock pulsed through her when her fangs scraped harmlessly across Darkfire's armor, who gave a rough bark of laughter before smacking Lunar Song's head away with her paw full of blade-like claws.

Lunar Song clenched her teeth, swinging around to retaliate. Darkfire was waiting, jaws wide in a bellow that shook the smaller femme to the core of her frame. Before they could make contact, Havoc darted forward and shoved them apart with her tiny body. She hissed, snapping a sharp glare at both of them, "This is not the time or place!"

"Stay out of this, Havoc!" Darkfire ordered, fixing her optics on Lunar Song, who stared back with an even colder look.

Havoc leaned her body lower, pointing her nose past them, "You two morons are letting all of the prey scatter!"

Darkfire tensed, dropping their stare down to scan their surroundings. Hesitantly, Lunar Song followed. Sure enough, they could only see a few humans still trying to run through the wreckage. Several had fallen or been injured in the chaos, and lay scattered across the ground. She could see more ahead, making a break across the street and weaving through the buildings surrounding the square.

"You see what you've done?" Havoc hissed, "you've let all the fat ones get away!"

Darkfire started after them with a purpose. All three of them froze when an enraged roar filled the air. Havoc was the first to reach, whirling around to fix wide optics on the form of Lunar Song's creator, standing straight on her rear legs with her claws pressing to her face.

"Bloodstar!" Havoc whispered. She rushed forward, clearing the distance rapidly on her thin but powerful legs.

Lunar Song tensed, "Creator?" She started after Havoc with a shake of her head, leaving Darkfire behind.

She arrived minutes after Havoc, seeing the tail end of her parent as the femme barreled around a brick building on the corner. Lunar Song almost pursued, but froze when a male voice whispered, "Dammit all..."

She stepped forward, tilting her head down to eye a human curled on the gravel. Havoc was standing guard over him, watching him as well with her jaws slightly ajar like she was debating on whether or not to eat him. Lunar Song rumbled deep in her chest, recognizing the human immediately by the mess of bright red hair on his head and his bright green organic optics. He'd almost been her first victim, him and that skinny, petrified, yellow haired girl.

She stepped closer, noting the red smears across the gravel beneath him and the stains on his clothes. Havoc leaned down over him with her wings slightly spread with a hiss of warning, "Bloodstar wants this one."

"I thought that once they touched the ground, anyone could have them." Lunar Song mused darkly, narrowing her optics when the human went rigid.

Havoc paused, then looked back down at the human, once again considering eating him herself. Lunar Song poked the human with her nose, making him wince. An odd scent filled her nostrils, one that made her cold spark twist a little. He pushed himself with one arm, turning enough to look at her. She met his gaze, showing her teeth a little when he didn't flinch away.

He seemed to be studying her, in an almost horrified way. He started, "Oh God...it is you."

Lunar Song went rigid while Havoc completely tuned into the human, lowering her head as well. The white femme showed more fang, "Prey isn't supposed to speak, _human._"

"What have they done to you?" He breathed. She froze when he actually raised a hand and _touched _her nose. His flesh almost burned her it was so warm and alien. "Sundance..."

Her spark tensed again, but she shoved it down. With a cold snarl, she raised her head sharply, ignoring the odd look Havoc was sending her. He let his arm fall back, staring up at her with sadness now instead of fear. Suddenly, Lunar Song lost her appetite. She turned away from Havoc, "He's yours."

"And where are you going?" Havoc questioned.

"Home," Lunar Song answered shortly, "There's hardly anything left worth eating here. Not after Darkfire _ate_ them all herself."

Havoc watched her cautiously, optics narrowed. Lunar Song started to walk away, pausing after a few steps to tilt her head in the smaller femme's direction, "I'd suggest eating him before my creator returns. Then you can pin the blame on that big brute of a seeker."

Havoc blinked, shocked, then grinned.

Lunar Song went on her way, shaking her head harshly. She spread her wings and shoved off the earth, flying high into the air.

* * *

><p><strong>First time writing from Lunar's POV. I think it physically hurts me every time she calls Bloodstar 'creator'.<br>Shits gonna hit the fan when Dem finds out.**

**Sundance her family, friends, the trine, Lunar Song, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

Critter watched her go, the pain of the shattered bones in his legs outdone by the new ache in his heart. Even in flight, with her back to him, he could see it. The swinging armored spade of her tail, which she'd held off the ground as she always had, now white instead of red. Her wings, the source of her pride, were no longer feathered, but webbed in some sort of thin metal-like material like the other dragons. Her optics were the same shade of red, but cold.

She was Sundance, but at the same time she wasn't. And suddenly he understood the sense of deja vu he'd felt when he first looked into her optics. She was lost, just as Demona had been years ago. Gone.

He tore his eyes away from her to focus on the smallest of the dragons, perched on her toes like she was ready to run, with her wings held rigid at her sides. Her red gaze was fixed on him, contemplating. Critter clenched his fists, wondering just where the _hell _Demona was, and if Ash was still alive. _Crazy fucking kid, _He thought, _just like her parents. _What the hell had she been thinking? Taking on one of the damn things with a BB gun. God, Shark and Rex would have his head on a plate when they heard about all of this.

"You knew her."

Critter clenched his teeth in pain, focusing on the dragon again. She was leaning closer, long head lowering slightly to get a closer look. He answered her unspoken question, hissing, "Her name is Sundance, and when her creators see what you've done to her, you'll have hell to pay."

She snorted, "Her designation is Lunar Song, and she belongs to-" An enraged roar cut her off from across the square, behind old brick buildings. Critter twisted to look while the dragon stepped over him and turned to fix narrowed optics on them. One of the buildings gave a deep groan before collapsing in a thick cloud of dust and smoke. Critter caught the flash of armor, and heard a harsh scream.

"Ash!" He whispered, green eyes wide.

He almost reached out to pull himself closer, but the dragon stepped on one of his legs, making him shout in pain. She leaned down over him, body blocking out the sun, "Be still, _human._"

* * *

><p>Ash was running. Her feet pounded the pavement of the streets and slid through the gravel of the driveways. Her heart pounded in her chest, so loud it blocked out everything but the snarls of the big ass dragon that was running behind her. She'd tried to weave between the buildings, so that she'd have a chance of losing the damn thing, but there just wasn't enough of them. She was out in the open, running like mad, with the decepticon so close that she could feel her breath on her back and hear the shift of her armor as she moved.<p>

One slip, and it would be over.

_God, I wish Sundance was here._

She clenched her teeth, ducking into a narrow way between two squatty little brick shops. She paused just long enough to shift her grip on the BB gun and glance behind her. The dragon wasn't even slowing down, like she was just going to plow right through the buildings. Ash raised the gun and pulled the trigger, swinging it out at an angle. The tiny metal BB struck the decepticon in the nose. The dragon roared, raising her head and curling a paw full of wicked claws around the corner of a building. She tore it apart like she was ripping paper, and with a groan, it came crashing down.

"Fuck!" Ash shouted, turning forward to run, "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

She slipped out just as the decepticon ripped into the other building. Someone screamed in fear, the sound harsh and grating on Ash's ears. Her heart clenched at the sound. She almost went back to search for whoever was inside, but decided against it when the dragon crawled over the mounds of rubble to fix her remaining optic on her. The hell-fire light of her gaze burned through the thick haze of dust and smoke, and her cold voice reached her in a whisper, "You can't run forever, little human. I will get my teeth around you. You're only making the hunt more worth it."

Ash bared her teeth, pale blue eyes narrowing to match the dragon's glare, "God I can't wait to see aunt Dem and uncle J tear into your big ugly ass!"

"The last thing you'll see are my fangs closing around your head." The dragon lunged, stepping off the wreckage to lash out with open jaws. Ash jumped back, avoiding the bite by inches. The dragon reacted quickly, taking a fluid step forward and stretching neck to smack her horned head into Ash's body.

Ash yelped, the blow sending her flying. She hit the wall of another shop and bounced off like a ball, hitting the ground hard. The impact knocked the breath from her body and left her paralyzed, struggling to recover.

Chuckling softly, the decepticon approached with slow, silent steps. By the time her shadow fell upon Ash, she was slowly pushing herself up. Ash met the dragon's gaze, her own glazed and unfocused. Ash tried to get her shit together, to get up and run. If she didn't, she'd die. Right here. She tried to force herself to move, but nothing was working. She could hardly feel her limbs.

The earth trembled with every step the dragon took, almost as if it were in fear. Ash let her body lean to the side, realizing that this was it. She stopped struggling, an odd sense of numb acceptance filling her heart. She let her eyes slide away from the dragon to stare at the sky, a part of her still waiting to see Sundance, the _real _Sundance, descending with wings stretched out and claws curled.

Her throat ached with sadness when she didn't see her. But at the same time, Ash smiled. There was a streak of rose red, racing across the sky, rushing towards them. It wasn't Sunny, but it was someone Ash knew would take care of this whole mess.

The decepticon stopped, head lowered with jaws slightly ajar. Her remaining optic narrowed. She said, "Why do you smile in the face of death?"

Ash smiled wider, and rasped, "I would...turn tail and get the hell out of here if I were you." She winced, pain filling her chest and her throat.

The dragon pulled back slightly, surprised. She recovered quickly, leaning back down to hiss, "You are in no position to be making such threats, prey."

"No..." Ash allowed her body to lean back, too tired to hold herself up anymore. At last, she gained some control of her body. She lifted a finger to point towards the sky, still smiling, "but _she_ is."

The dragon froze, body growing tense as the raging snarl of Demona's engine filled the air. The decepticon turned sharply with a growl, raising her wings as the red femme transformed in mid air and dropped towards her with wrist blades drawn and optics full of fire.

* * *

><p><strong>The cavalry has arrived. :)<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed. Much love to you.  
>Ash, her family and friends, the dragon trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.<strong>


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

The femme hit Bloodstar so hard she slid through the gravel, hook shaped claws leaving deep gouges in the earth. Red wrist blades clashed with her thick armor, sending a shower of sparks through the air. Bloodstar snarled, pulling her lip plates back as she coiled her body, forcing herself away from her attacker. The femme fell back, as light on her feet as Havoc was on her's. She circled with slow, silent foot steps.

Bloodstar rolled back to her feet with a shake of her damaged armor. She took a moment to look over her opponent, recognizing her immediately as the same aerial Darkfire had clubbed right out of the sky when they'd taken Lunar Song. She'd barely taken note of her before, but now that she was so close, Bloodstar spared a second to look her over.

Jagged red armor from her head to her claw-like toes, rose red like the Lunar's before Shockwave rebuilt her. Bright red optics that burned with anger and worry at the same time. Her hands were shaped into claws, the sun glinted off her scarred horns. Bloodstar could see parts of her that belonged to Megatron, the creator she had betrayed.

Bloodstar showed her teeth, "So you are the one." She noticed that the femme had come to stop directly between her and the human child, who had fallen into stasis. The red femme put herself between them and stayed there, determined to protect her. Bloodstar's spark filled with disgust. She spoke quietly, bringing her body low to the ground, "The weapon that turned against it's master. You are Megatron's creation. Demona."

"Where is she?" The femme snarled back, crouching low.

Bloodstar paused, tilting her head slightly as another autobot aerial soared past, headed towards her sisters. "She's not an autobot anymore," She said, "She belongs to us now."

Demona's body went rigid. She pulled back like a snake about to strike, and lunged. Bloodstar roared, meeting her halfway.

* * *

><p>Lunar Song twisted sharply in the sky when her frozen spark suddenly came to life. She coiled to stare back towards the area where her creator was, feeling something tug on her, pulling her towards it. Was this...the bond she had with her creator? Was she calling her back? She didn't know. Since she'd been revived, she hadn't felt anything like it.<p>

Another pull on her spark. The feeling was so strange but so familiar at the same time. It had to be Bloodstar. Lunar Song narrowed her optics, tensing when she caught the glint of armor in the sky. Someone was in the air, but she didn't recognize the shape or color of the aerial. Her optics narrowed, watching. Was it an autobot?

Bloodstar roared in the distance and Lunar Song acted. She turned, pumping her wings as hard as she could to rush back towards their hunting ground. She didn't understand it, but she knew that her creator was calling her.

Lunar Song returned in seconds, gaze passing over Darkfire, who was busy plowing through buildings, a small autobot dive bombing her from the air. The big femme was in a rage, massive jaws snapping shut over thin air in an attempt to crush him every time he swept down. Lunar Song passed over them without a thought, focused solely on finding Bloodstar.

"Lunar Song!" Bloodstar cried, her voice broken with pain. Lunar Song jerked as if she'd been struck, fixing on her creator's location immediately.

Her creator had her claws in a red femme, jaws open to bite. The autobot recovered with a sharp twist, wrenching free. In the same movement, she plunged her wrist blade through a gap in Bloodstar's armor. Rage filled Lunar Song's spark, her energon boiled. She fixed her gaze on the autobot while her creator struggled to recover, and snarled, her voice cold and loud, "Look to the sky, autobot!"

The femme's horned head snapped up, wide red optics fixing on her. Lunar Song was struck by their color, and by how shocked they were. She didn't remember much from her life before her mother had put her back together, but she knew autobots had _blue _optics, not red. And the shock on her face...it was sharp, painful. Something in Lunar Song's spark stirred uncomfortably, but she shoved it down ruthlessly.

Instead she showed her lethal fangs and slammed into the autobot. She locked her claws down on thick, jagged red armor and wrapped her tail around the femme's leg. They hit the earth like a felled mountain, making the ground quake. Thick clouds of dust and dirt rose around them. Lunar Song stared into the femme's optics, pinning her with her weight.

The autobot did nothing, completely frozen in her shock. Lunar Song leaned down closer, tightening her grip with her claws until the autobot's armor was caving beneath them. Her creator pulled at her spark again, harder than before. Lunar Song had the urge to look at Bloodstar, but didn't dare take her optics off the autobot.

Her creator got to her feet and approached. She chuckled, "She's ruthless, isn't she, Demona? So strong and beautiful, too."

Lunar Song's spark swelled with her creator's words. The autobot tensed beneath her like she wanted to attack, but she couldn't take her optics off Lunar Song. Bloodstar leaned closer, pressing the base of her horns lovingly against Lunar Song's arched neck. There was a wide grin on her face as she continued, "I am so very proud of my little sparkling."

"I'll crush you," The autobot whispered, voice trembling, "I'll crush you and drag the mangled pieces of your body to the pits."

Lunar Song snarled, "How dare you threaten my creator!"

She moved, pulling a hand free to wrap her fingers around Lunar Song's white chest plates, right over her decepticon badge, "No, Sundance! You're-"

"That is not my name!" Lunar Song roared, pulling back harshly. The femme winced as she pulled a plate of her armor from her body. Lunar Song stepped back and swept her head down to bite, sinking her teeth into her scarred chest plates. She coiled her whole body and lifted the femme from the earth to sling her through the air.

She hit one of the few buildings left standing, shattering it beneath her weight. Lunar Song waited, looking to her creator. Bloodstar was still smiling. She encouraged, "Make your kill and eat, sweet sparkling. She's all yours."

Lunar Song brought her body down low and stalked towards the autobot as she got to her feet. She straightened slowly, once again staring at her with wide optics. Lunar Song hissed, "You should never have attacked my creator, autobot. I'm going to rip you open and feed on your energon."

Another pull, so strong it made her spark hurt. She didn't know why Bloodstar was still pulling at their bond, she was there and that was what mattered. Why was she still trying to call her? Lunar Song ignored it. She didn't remember how to respond and tug back, anyway. The femme stood her ground, though a great pain filled her face now. Rage and confusion squeezed her spark when the femme's wrist blades slowly slid back into their sheaths. The autobot spoke to her, still whispering, "I will not fight you."

Lunar Song moved closer, "You don't have a choice."

Bloodstar circled slowly around the two of them, watching with an amused light in her optics. Somewhere nearby, Darkfire let out a triumphant bark of laughter as the painful screech of her prey filled the air.

"We always have a choice." The autobot stepped back, "this is not who you are, sweetspark."

Lunar Song snarled, snapping her jaws in annoyance when her spark shifted uncomfortably again. She lunged forward, opening her jaws to bite. Hands appeared around her horns, holding her back from biting the femme's face off. The autobot tried again, "Sundance! Please come back to me!"

Lunar Song snarled, "I am Lunar Song, and my creator is Bloodstar! I am a decepticon seeker, and slayer of autobots!" She narrowed her optics, swearing, "And I will kill you just as I have killed the rest!"

She pulled at the fire in her belly and spread her jaws open to cover her enemy in red flames.

* * *

><p>Demona couldn't bring herself to move, not even when the femme pulled her head back and opened her maw. The plates on her long neck lifted and spun, the glow of fire peeking out through the gaps of her armor. She could do nothing but stare into her sparkling's optics. Jolt and her other sparklings were pulling at her spark in an attempt to wake her up, but she could hardly feel them over the pain in her spark.<p>

"You're my sparkling," Demona said under her breath. Lunar Song didn't hear, or didn't care. Her throat lit up and Demona could feel the heat of her breath and smell the blood of all the humans she had killed. Demona tried to pull at her spark again, reaching through their strained bond to call her. It only seemed to anger the femme, optics narrowing and breath growing hotter.

Anger and pain and confusion and sadness ripped through her like a hot blade, and they filled her spark until it was ready to burst.

Bloodstar was standing nearby, watching everything like it was a show. She still had that grin plastered on her face. Demona wanted nothing more than to pull her teeth out and tear her jaws from her skull. If she made it out of this, if Sundance came back to her, she would kill the femme herself. Bloodstar chuckled lowly, "I told you she was ruthless, Demona."

The first tongues of fire were leaving Lunar Song's mouth when a shadow fell over them. Sundance fell back with a startled snarl, looking up as Jetfire dove towards them. He was folded down into his alternate when he swept down, transforming enough to reach out with both arms and wrap them around Lunar Song and lift her clear off the earth.

The white dragon struggled madly, snarling and clawing as he curved back into the sky and shot away, plates of his armor rattling and falling off in the process. Demona started to pursue, but stopped when Bloodstar roared, "Stay where you are, traitor!"

Demona whirled towards her, optics narrowing, "You did this!"

"Yes," Bloodstar walked towards her slowly like a predator approaching it's prey, "It was all my planning. I brought her to Shockwave and had him put her back together." She paused as Darkfire shoved off the earth somewhere in the wreckage and soared over them to go after Jetfire. Their smaller sister followed. Bloodstar stopped a short distance away, "And I filled her pretty little processor with stories and lies."

"She's my sparkling," Demona hissed.

"Oh?" Bloodstar tilted her head like the news really did interest her, "I had no idea, Demona. Tell me. How does it feel to have one of your own turn against you and attack you with the intention to kill? It's painful, isn't it?"

"You twisted her."

"No, autobot. I simply awakened the decepticon that had been sleeping deep inside of her all this time."

Demona tensed. She straightened, optics brightening as her battle mask snapped into place. Her wrist blades slid out with a musical ring.

Bloodstar lifted her wings slightly, optics narrowing, "Like it or not, she's had this in her all along."

Demona roared, charging.

* * *

><p><strong>Sundance and her family and friends, Lunar song and the trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.<strong>


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53**

Lunar Song struggled, twisting and writhing in the mech's grip. He was speaking, but he wasn't making any sense, jumping back and forth between things and muddling up his words until she couldn't understand him at all. Every time she managed to wedge loose a wing or an arm, he'd adjust his hold and wrap his arms around her tighter. He carried her away, until she could barely feel the pulls her creator was making on her spark. Soon she couldn't even see their hunting ground, or even smell the blood of their kills or the smoke of the burning structures.

Enraged, Lunar Song jerked a hand free and raked her thick claws down the side of his body. His armor was old and rusted, and it easily tore. His entire frame jerked, body tilting until he was flying sideways. She swept her claws at him again, sinking them into a gap in his armor. She wiggled, freeing her tail next and swinging the energon-blade mounted on it at him. The blade struck home, cracking his armor and planting deep into his insides.

"-Spitfire!" He rasped, the first clear words he'd said, "Sundance, sparkling!"

"I am not Sundance!" Lunar Song shouted. She narrowed her optics when she caught the glint of armor behind them, a little relief soothed her rage when she spotted the shape of her creator's trine sisters, closing in fast.

Lunar Song turned back to the mech. She bared her teeth, "Put me down, autobot!"

"No!"

She opened her jaws wide and snapped her head down to bite down on his arm, shattering his armor and penetrating the protoform and wiring beneath. His hold loosened, but he didn't let go. Lunar Song snarled, biting down harder and twisting her head until the limb snapped off at the elbow. Unable to hold her with one arm, he finally let her go.

Lunar Song ripped her claws and her tail from his body and let herself free fall, optics watching as the mech, rivers of energon covering his armor, struggled to stay in the air. He managed to straighten before Darkfire slammed into him, thick claws clenching one of his wings and ripping it clean off his body. It fell in tattered pieces behind them.

Havoc was there too, darting around his form. Darkfire shoved off his body, Havoc pulled her wings in and cut beneath him, taking the tip of his last wing in her jaws and sending him into a deadly downward spiral. Lunar Song turned right side up, opening her wings to catch the winds. She pulled up just as the mech passed her. Her body tensed when drops of his warm energon landed on her armor. Her optics scanned over his wounds and her spark shifted again.

Lunar Song hovered, baring her teeth as Havoc began to dive bomb the mech like the small autobot had done to Darkfire. She took little bites or quick swipes of her claws, never lingering long enough to be injured. Darkfire glided down after them calmly, enjoying the show.

Lunar Song pulled her wings in and went after them, determined to get a bite out of him before Darkfire ate him whole. The mech hit the ground first, shaking the earth with the impact. He tried to transform as Havoc landed behind him, as light as a bird, and Darkfire in front of him. Lunar Song landed beside Darkfire, glaring at the mech. Darkfire chuckled, tilting her massive head down to look at Lunar Song, "Not bad, Lunar. You got away and wounded him." She paused, looking back at the mech when he shifted slowly. She inhaled deeply, and a savage grin pulled at her lip plates, "Do you smell that, Havoc?"

"Energon," Havoc whispered back, crouching low with her nose pointed towards the autobot.

"How long has it been since we've had a real meal?" Darkfire started forward slowly.

"Too long."

Lunar Song said nothing, staring at the mech as he began a very painful transformation, shifting piece by piece into his true form. Darkfire stopped a short distance away, watching. It was a slow process, but when the last energon-splattered plate of armor shuddered it's way into place, the mech fixed old red optics on Lunar Song.

"Jetfire." Havoc hissed angrily, "another slagging traitor."

"Good," Darkfire hummed, "with Bloodstar tearing Demona to pieces, we'll have had our revenge on them both." She walked forward, leaning her head in to bite.

The mech abruptly moved, much quicker than he should be able to, and smacked the big femme across the face with what looked like a cane. He hit her hard enough to make her stumble. Stunned, Darkfire stared at him. The mech pulled back with the cane and sized her up for another swing. He shouted, "I wasn't talking to you, decepticon!"

Darkfire shook out of her shock and snarled, "You weren't talking to anyone, you crazy pit-faced aft!"

Havoc stilled, optics growing wide when she realized what had happened. Then, just when the mech was about to smack Darkfire again, she started laughing. Her larger sister snapped a glare in her direction and ordered, "Stop laughing!" She caught the cane in her mouth when he tried to hit her again, and snapped it in half with ease. She growled and turned to the mech again, charging forward the last few steps and swinging her massive head into his chest to knock him flat on his back. She stepped onto him, pinning him down with one massive paw on his chest.

The mech tried to shove her off, but she ducked beneath his arm and bit down on his chest plates with crushing force. She shook her head, wrenching his armor from his frame. Havoc joined in, rushing forward with her body low. She dove her head under his thrashing limbs and stuck her head in through a hole in his armor Lunar Song had made.

Lunar Song stayed where she was, watching in silence. She had the urge to join in, to feed, but something held her back. Her spark felt odd, almost like it was in pain when his systems began to whine in agony. She clenched her jaws shut.

Darkfire took a chunk out of him and chewed on it for a second. She spit it out with a disgusted snarl, "Pit, this is the oldest fragging mech I've ever seen! Everythings rusted through and stale!"

Havoc pulled her head out to glare at her, helm completely coated in his energon. Lunar Song went rigid when she saw it.

"Shut up and feed!" Havoc hissed, "there's no telling when more autobots will come!"

"The humans tasted better than this," Darkfire muttered, lowering her head back to the mech.

"_Sundance._"

Lunar Song's head snapped to the mech, meeting his flickering gaze. He'd given up fighting, having already been weakened by the wounds they'd given him in the air. His remaining arm slumped down to the ground, then reached out to her with his hand open. "Spitfire," He tried again, "...Sundance."

"I am Lunar Song," She said coldly, annoyed by everyone's insistence that she was someone else. She added, "I am not Sundance."

He wheezed, "Bollocks."

Darkfire leaned back, watching with a sick kind of amusement as he kept reaching for Lunar Song.

Lunar Song hesitated. What was wrong with these autobots? This mech was dying, he was being eaten alive, but he was still carrying on.

"I know who you are," His voice grew weaker but he didn't tear his gaze from her, "you are my spitfire."

Lunar Song broadened her stance and opened her wings in a defensive stance, "I don't belong to you! I am not Sundance!"

"This..." His optics dimmed, but he pushed on, even when he weakened and his arm dropped to the ground, "...This is your story. Let no one else tell it."

Her optics widened.

"It's your time, Sundance."

_Story. _The word repeated in her processor, pounding against the walls of her metal skull. She kept staring at him, optics round. He faded, falling into a forced stasis in reaction to his wounds.

"Old slagging mech," Darkfire muttered, "it's about time he shut up."

Lunar Song watched his optics go dark, feeling her spark shutter and falter in an unfamiliar way. She said nothing as the two seekers went back to feeding, reluctantly lapping up the energon on his body. They filled their bellies, but Lunar Song did nothing.

She stood in silence, trying to understand what had just happened.

* * *

><p>"Shit," Critter whispered, straining his senses. He could hear the sound of battle close by, blades tearing through armor and cries of pain when someone couldn't block an attack. He knew Demona was here. He'd seen her cut through the sky like a red arrow and transform in one of the fastest shifts he'd ever seen. He'd seen Sundance rush back over a few minutes after. He'd seen the big ass dragon snap her jaws closed around Swoop when he got too close. He'd seen Jetfire arrive, dropping down to pluck Sundance from the ground and carry her away. He'd seen two of the three dragons push off into the sky to go after him.<p>

Now he couldn't see anything. And it was driving him nuts.

He considered trying to crawl, to drag himself as far as he could until he found them, but one look at his legs and he was reminded. If Critter made it out of this alive, he knew he'd never walk again. He could hardly feel them now, he'd gone numb in both legs. He was grateful but worried at the same time.

His gaze scanned over what was left of the festival. His heart ached when he saw the wreckage. There was only a little blood and no bodies. Almost every one had been eaten alive in one swallow. "Fucking decepticons," He cursed under his breath, "they just keep getting worse."

Above the sounds of Demona fighting the dragon behind the buildings, roaring engines reached him. He pushed himself up on an arm, looking up the street and hoping like hell that it was more autobots.

A blue Chevy Volt curved sharply around the corner, coming into view. Critter grinned, relief flooding through him. He laughed when a rescue vehicle followed the Volt, with a big ass black truck right on it's tail and a flame painted semi behind it. A cop car was there two, and so were a pair of bright ass hot rods. Optimus had brought the whole team with him.

The Volt sped up, coming straight towards Critter. He wasn't afraid of being run over though, and forced himself to sit up. The blue car swung sideways, transforming in a rush of twisting blue and silver alloys. Jolt emerged, dropping to kneel beside Critter immediately. Before the mech could ask, Critter was talking, "They just came out of fucking no where and started killing everyone! I don't know if Ash got away-shit, she freaking led the leader away. Demonas fighting her now, the others took off a while ago when Jetfire showed up."

"Did you see Sundance?" Jolt asked.

Critter hesitated, heart clenching. It felt like a brick was in his gut. Jolt tensed. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker shot passed, heading towards Demona and the dragon. Optimus and a few others transformed to stand beside Jolt.

"God, Jolt," He finally said, swallowing harshly, "they...did something to her. She's not Sundance anymore."

The mechs went rigid. Critter shook his head, "She was killing and eating the humans just like the others. Shes a decepticon."

Jolt became still, optics growing dark as it sank in.

"Where are they now?" Optimus asked.

"I don't know. Jetfire came and picked her up and took off. The other two seekers went after them."

"Jetfires here?" Ratchet asked, shocked.

"Yeah-look, that's not the point-" Critter cut himself off when the dragon came crashing through one of the buildings, sliding on her side into the open. Jolt acted, moving to crouch protectively over him with his whips charged and ready.

The dragon got to her feet and roared. Demona appeared, stalking out of the dust and rubble. Her optics were narrowed, full of rage, hate, and pain.

The mechs raised their weapons, but the dragon didn't take her eyes from Demona. She hissed, "I've already won this battle, Demona! She belongs to me now!"

Jolt rose. Demona started towards her, walking slow like a lioness stalking her prey.

The decepticon chuckled, "And what a good little sparkling she's proving to be." She turned and pushed off the earth, flapping her wings hard to ascend. Jolt lunged forward a step, extending the whips and swinging with practiced ease. The blades embedded deep into the femme's armor, locking down. He fisted his hand in the chains and yanked with all of his strength. The dragon hit the ground hard enough to make it shudder. She snarled, then cried out in pain when Demona swept her wrist blades and sliced her wings from her frame in one motion.

She pinned the decepticon down beneath her feet, toe claws piercing through her armor. Optimus turned to Ironhide, "Take the Ratchet and the twins. Locate Jetfire and Sundance, if you can."

He turned back to the dragon when she chuckled, voice cracked but still cold, "You will never find my sisters."

"We found _you_," Demona argued.

The femme snarled, showing her teeth.

"There's still people," Critter said, drawing their attention. He had his eyes on the dragon, who glared back, "Ash is here somewhere. There's others, too. They hid when the seekers first attacked."

Optimus started giving orders immediately, and what was left of the autobot mechs split up to search.

* * *

><p>Darkfire snarled, stepping down from the traitor's body. Her optics were on the sky, smoke raising from her flared nostrils.<p>

Lunar Song finally snapped out of her trance, sensing the sudden tension in the two sisters. Havoc had taken Darkfire's place on the mech's mangled chest, also looking up. The youngest of the three joined them, asking, "What is it?"

"Bloodstar has been captured." Darkfire said.

Lunar Song went rigid. She started forward, spreading her wings to fly. The big femme stopped her though, swinging her heavy head to smack Lunar Song in the chest and send her sliding back. Darkfire hissed, "Don't be stupid, runt. Capturing Bloodstar is almost impossible. There must have been too many for her to escape."

"How do you know?" Lunar Song hissed.

"Because she told us," Havoc answered, looking at her.

Lunar Song blinked. "Through your bond?"

"Yes." Darkfire turned and ripped a chunk off of the mech's body.

"Why didn't I know?"

The two seekers stilled. Lunar Song looked at them expectantly. When they didn't respond, she repeated, "Why didn't she tell me. She's my creator. We share a bond."

Darkfire looked at Havoc, who said after a moment of thought, "Yes, but our bond is different. We were born with her, so ours is much stronger. She can speak to us through it. She can't do that with you."

Lunar Song narrowed her optics. Before she could say anything else, Darkfire opened her wings and turned away from their hunting grounds, "We should leave before the stink of this traitor draws them right to us."

Havoc nodded. The two shoved off the earth to fly. Lunar Song lingered a moment longer, looking at the ground beneath her energon and blood stained claws. A voice whispered in her processor, and the words echoed.

She followed them despite it, though the more she heard it, the more she began to wonder.

_'They're lying.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Wow...I really hate myself right now. <strong>**Shits gonna hit the fan when she remembers everything and realizes what just happened.**

**Thanks for your reviews everyone! I do read them whenever I get a new one, I just never answer...which is bad on my part...**

**Lunar Song, the trine, and Sundance, her family, friends, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

"Optimus," Ratchet started, approaching the massive Prime after he'd put Bloodstar into a medical stasis. The seeker had fought them violently after Demona had pinned her to the earth, and had quickly become a problem. She'd managed to knock him on his aft and tear up Sunstreaker's armor. The yellow mech was still seething, cold blue optics locked on the dragon with a murderous gleam.

Optimus immediately turned to Ratchet, meeting his optics patiently. Ratchet hesitated, seeing the weariness in the larger mech from all that had happened lately. He said, "We can't locate Jetfire's signal."

Everything seemed to become still around them. The other autobots, the ones that weren't gathering the dead and wounded humans, completely stopped to stare at him. Ratchet let the words sink in, hating himself for having to say it and hating those pit-spawned seekers even more for causing this whole mess. Optimus spoke first, his words sounding strained, "He is offline."

"Or on the verge of offlining."

Optimus turned to Demona and Jolt, both still standing defensively around Critter like another seeker was going to jump out and attack. Demona tensed slightly when she met her adopted creator's gaze. The two simply stared at each other for a moment, speaking through their bond. Outloud, he said, "Demona, you and Jolt will search for him. If he's still online, then there's a chance we can save him."

"Prime-" Demona started to argue, but Jolt beat her to it;

"What about Sundance?"

"We can find her," Demona whispered, "We can feel her spark now."

"I understand, youngling, but she is...online and functioning. Jetfire needs your assistance more than she does."

The red femme went rigid, optics narrowing and fists clenching. Optimus held his ground, staring at her calmly. He said, tone softening, "Jetfire took her with him when he retreated. Find him, and you'll be closer to finding her."

Demona hesitated a moment longer before relaxing and inclining her head to him. She promised, "We will bring him back home."

Optimus smiled slightly, "I know you will."

Demona crouched low and pushed off the earth with enough force to leave massive claw marks in the asphalt of the street. She twisted in the sky as her frame rearranged into her aerial alternate, then she shot off. Jolt waited for a second, unsure, but then he folded down and followed, falling into her shadow with a rev of his engine.

"Then who will go after the other seekers?" Ironhide said, crossing his arms, "we're going to have our hands full with the wreckage and the humans."

"That's already been taken care of," Swoop said tiredly, dragging a clawed hand down his helm. Everyone turned to him, and when he noticed he had their attention, the dinobot straightened up despite his injuries and grinned darkly at them, "Grimlocks enroute as we speak."

* * *

><p>"We should fight!" Lunar Song said, landing. Darkfire hit the ground behind her, shaking it with her weight as she snorted and stomped away.<p>

The monstrous seeker bared her thick teeth and snarled, "You should shut the frag up before I decide to take a chunk out of your pretty little hide!"

Havoc floated down ahead of them, turning slightly to look at them with narrowed optics. Lunar Song showed her teeth, hissing, "You would abandon one of your own in the hands of autobots?"

Darkfire turned to her completely, scarlet optics squinted at her, "You're beginning to bother me, runt."

"She's my creator and your sister!" Lunar Song argued, "Yet you refuse to save her!"

"Bloodstar does not need saving, and if you were truly her creation, you'd know it!" Darkfire roared.

"She shouldn't have to fight her battles alone!" Lunar Song shifted her wings in agitation, "we are her family, we should stand beside her!"

Darkfire paused, raising her head in slight surprise. Havoc hissed from her spot, staring at Lunar Song with a look of suspicion. Lunar Song hesitated, spark squeezing when she realized she'd crossed some kind of line.

Darkfire glanced at her sister, then focused all attention on the youngest of the three. She started towards her, massive head held high and steps heavy and loud. Lunar Song turned towards her completely, tensing her shoulders and raising her head as well. Darkfire said, voice dark, "You're beginning to sound an awful lot like one of them, Lunar."

"Like what," Lunar Song narrowed her optics. She noted that Jetfire's energon was still glowing faintly beneath the light of the moon, splattered and streaked across the seeker's wide chest and powerful jaws. It occurred to her that this femme would have no problem offlining her, even if she was Bloodstar's creation. The black dragon moved closer with every tooth bare and a very dark gleam in her optics, but Lunar Song would not back down. She stood her ground, squaring up and broadening her stance.

"Like an _autobot._"

Rage pierced Lunar Song. She clawed the ground and spat, "I am _no _autobot."

"Do you know what we seekers do when we find a happy little family of bots?" Darkfire started to walk circles around her, hungry stare never leaving her.

Lunar Song said nothing, staring straight ahead. Darkfire chuckled darkly, "We let them fight for a while, make them believe they have a fighting chance. They usually stand as one, and rely on each other for protection. It's entertaining to watch their optics fill up with false hope when they think they can scare us off, but it's even more fun to watch them scream and beg for mercy when we pick them apart and kill them, one by one. We make them watch their precious family perish, and by the time we're down to the last mech, he gets on his knees and accepts his death without any struggle, because there's no reason left to live for them once they've lost their loved ones."

Lunar Song snarled, spark heating up with more rage as the words sank into her. She didn't know why, but the thought of slaughtering an entire family and making them watch as their creations and creators perished was maddening.

"And sometimes, they're not a real family, and we don't kill all of them," Darkfire kept going, "once, at the very beginning of the war, the three of us were Megatron's favorite little trine of seekers, before Starscream weaseled his way into second in command. We stayed at his side as he built his army. He started cleansing Cybertron by going to one of it's orphanages and burning it to the ground with the sparklings inside. Have you ever heard sparklings cry for their lives, Lunar?"

Lunar Song was rigid, body trembling slightly. _Burning sparklings. _

"It's the most beautiful song in the world," She kept walking around her, completing another lap, "and we stood there in the firelight and listened to them sing. Their cries drew out an autobot femme, a young one, and she threw herself into the flames to save them. We watched as she gathered as many as she could and carried them back out, and then we ripped their little bodies out of her arms and bled them right before her very optics. We made her watch as we killed them. I wanted to kill her, too, but by the time we finished her spark was already weak with grief. We let her fall to the ground in the energon-soaked ash, and left her there. But she survived, and became a great hunter."

She paused, "They say that she painted her armor with the black ash of the orphanage and the cold energon of the sparklings and changed her designation to Ghost, and that she never stopped trying to hunt us or Megatron."

Darkfire started walking again, "I wish I could meet her. There's a certain beauty in letting one survive, you see. They twist and change, and turn into a monster, and they make the best prey. This is what we do to families, Lunar Song. We destroy them. There is no room for love or family sentiments in our ranks. We stay together because we can use the bond to help us in battle, that is the only reason. We don't rely on each other to survive. Bloodstar will find a way out on her own."

"You..." Lunar Song started, hardly able to speak the words in her anger, "...murdered sparklings."

"Thousands," Darkfire whispered in her audio, "We slaughtered thousands of them."

Lunar Song struck, whipping her head around to bite down hard on the cables of Darkfire's throat, one of the few parts of her body not protected by armor. She sank her fangs down, feeling hot energon fill her mouth. She jerked her head, ripping and tearing. Darkfire countered with a roar, batting her away with a paw full of hook-like claws. Lunar Song tore one of the cables wide open, carrying the piece in her jaws as she slid back from the impact. Darkfire staggered a few steps to the left, lowering her head as her energon spilled out of her and unto the earth. Lunar Song spit out the piece in her mouth and shouted, "And we ask ourselves why there is so few of us left! You killed innocent sparklings!"

"I think we've made that clear," Darkfire said, grinning despite her injury. Her grin broadened and her optics lit like she suddenly remembered or thought of something, "The autobots must have hit you pretty hard, Lunar. You killed sparklings, too."

Lunar Song stilled, optics wide. Her spark seemed to stop turning.

Darkfire took her chance, thundering towards her when the femme froze. The bigger femme head butted her in the chest, bashing in her chest plates and sending her flying back. She was still grinning, "And you _enjoyed_ killing those sparklings!"

"I..." Lunar Song struggled to pull herself back up, flopping over painfully. Her systems whined, her processor seemed to slow down as an intense agony flared throughout her chest and shoulders. She rasped, "I didn't..."

"Yes you did. You're a decepticon, just like us." Darkfire stalked towards her, taking her time because she knew Lunar Song was stunned from the attack. "It seems I'll have to beat your memories back into you."

"Darkfire-" Havoc warned. Darkfire snarled at her, shutting her up, and stopped over Lunar Song.

The white femme was just then getting her feet beneath her, claws grasping the dirt weakly as she tried to shift and stand. Lunar Song whispered, "I didn't kill sparklings." She _knew _she didn't. She was confused about many things, but not that.

"You like to eat your kills, especially the sparklings."

"No..." Lunar Song managed to stand, swaying, "you're wrong."

Darkfire laughed, "Can you believe she's still in denial?" She dropped her head and scooped Lunar Song up in her jaws and bit down just hard enough to penetrate her armor. She shook her like a dog would shake a doll. When Lunar Song went limp, she dropped her to the ground and left her to lay gasping in the dirt.

"Why Bloodstar has so much pride in you I'll never know," Darkfire said, walking away from her, "you're about as useful as a drone."

Lunar Song stayed where she was, her processor trying to wrap around what had happened. Darkfire laid down with a rumble, taking her claws and picking at her wound. Havoc sent a cautious look at Lunar Song before joining her sister, laying down slowly with her wings folded around her like a bird.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter is ready to be uploaded, but I can't promise you a good time because our internet has been down for several days. Sorry.<strong>

**Tell me what you think, much love to you all. **

**Demona and her family, friends, Lunar Song, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not. **


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

Lunar Song raised her head slowly, narrowed red optics scanning over the two recharging seekers. Both of the femmes were passed out, settled close together despite the 'decepticons don't rely on love or family' speech Darkfire had given her earlier that night.

The moon was high now, the air cold. It felt good on her sore body. Lunar Song stood up, wincing from how much effort it took. All the stupid seeker had done was beat her around a little bit and now she felt like she was about to fall apart. She made a note to avoid Darkfire from now on. Lunar Song scanned her optics over their surroundings.

They'd landed in a clearing in the woods, just big enough to hold the three of them. The trees were tall and old, dark. While staring into them, she saw the image of the old autobot's red optics as they fixed on her and then faded. Her spark was uneasy, twisting and turning in pain, and her gut, even though she'd filled it with humans yesterday, felt painfully empty. Who was he?

She couldn't tear her thoughts away from him. He had started their battle, hadn't he? Lifting her clean off the ground just seconds before she made a kill out of that red femme. He'd held her against his will, so he was at fault for attacking her first.

But...he hadn't tried to hit her. Not once. He'd only tried to carry her, then speak to her though she didn't understand him.

_He called me spitfire. And Sundance._

Her lip plates curled back. There was another question burning in her processor. Who the _pit _was 'Sundance'? And why did every autobot she met call her that name?

She opened her wings, crouching down slightly while she kneaded the dirt with her claws. She didn't understand, none of it made sense to her. She was a decepticon, always had been. Her creator was Bloodstar. Even though Bloodstar didn't speak to her through their bond, Lunar Song was sure that she was her parent. Who else could it possibly be?

All of the questions were beginning to wear her down. She turned her head up to the sky. She had to have answers.

Lunar Song glanced at the two seekers one last time before crouching down and taking flight as quietly as she possibly could. She spread her wings and pumped them down, wincing when she felt the strain of her injuries. Lunar Song ascended rapidly, and flew as fast as she could, processor and spark set on finding the felled autobot seeker that they'd left to rot in the open.

The first rays of dawn were breaking through the darkness when her optics fell upon his battered form. She narrowed her optics when her spark squeezed again. Lunar Song ran a quick scan through the area and, finding no signs of other autobots, pulled her wings in and dove down to land before him.

She simply stood there and stared at him for a moment, taking in all the damage the two seekers had done. There wasn't very much of him left, but somehow, when she stepped closer, his systems began to hum weakly with life. Lunar Song narrowed her optics and said, "Who is Sundance."

Old red optics flickered on, shining very faintly. She waited, watching. His optics seemed to focus on her, the fingers on his remaining hand twitched. His arm tensed, and a sharp hiss left his joints. He wheezed, "Sun...dance..."

Lunar Song snapped, "Who is she!"

A moment of silence fell over them like a heavy blanket, weighing down, and for a moment she was afraid that he'd offlined. Static suddenly echoed through the air, then a recording of _her _voice, "_Jetfire! I am not—scared little sparkling you can send away! I am Su-sun-Dance-why don't-tell me a story-about-struck fear into the sparks of decepticons-Jetfire, why-why-why-why don't you remem-ber me? I am Sundance, your friend!_"

Lunar Song's optics widened. She took a big step back. He managed to lift his trembling arm towards her, just like he had while the two seekers gorged themselves on his body. Another series of recordings began to play, of a much smaller version of her voice, young and full of wonder, "_Tell me a story, Jetfire! Tell me about the one where you learned to fly-Jetfire-What do I do-Jetfire?_"

Then, it shifted to _his _voice, "_I once knew a youngling that loved the skies with her entire spark-since the day of her creation she longed to fly-The winds and the sun was in her spark-she was a fearless flier-the fastest in her faction-_"

"Stop." Lunar Song whispered, spark nearly tearing in half. Her processor seemed to stutter, something broke inside her. Pain flared up in her head, pain that didn't come from her wounds. She lunged forward a step, baring her fangs, "Stop!"

He didn't, the scratchy recording of his voice continuing before she could tell him again, "_Don't you see? The sun, the wind, the clouds, the __**sky**__-all inside __**you**__!-This-this-is your hope-your greatest power-as long as-spark soars with it, you will be stronger than your enemies-it's all inside you-..._" She took another step with the intent to shut him up herself, but when she did she was close enough for him to reach and he strained his arm until his fingers curled gently around her nose. "_...All inside you...Sundance._"

Lunar Song froze. She stared at his face, his optics as the faded again and the energon-stained plates of his face that made up a beard. Slowly, going against everything she knew as a decepticon, she pressed her face into his palm. The motion was painfully familiar, and it sent her spark into a blaze of agony and grief. She couldn't look away from his face, so she saw it when he smiled tiredly. His last words came from his mouth, not his memory, and they were ragged and soft. The echoed through her torn processor, "Your...story...Let no one else tell it, sparkling...I've told you mine...now it's your turn."

She recoiled as if he'd struck her, and hit the ground as something tore wide open inside of her. She raised her claws to her head and gripped tightly, the new void inside of her threatening to rip her to pieces. She snarled and screamed, but no words left her. She twisted and thrashed, processor exploding with the same kind of pain that was in her spark. She cried, voice shrill, "_What have you done to me!_"

Her claws left deep gouges in her helm as she pulled them down her face. She clenched her optics shut as the pain increased and entirely new memories assaulted her processor, ones she'd never seen before. They hit her like blows from Darkfire's tail, one right after another, of a mech with bright blue armor, of Jetfire and the femme she'd battled at their hunting ground. They were unclear and and broken, but the bots and even _humans _in them were crystal clear. She saw the human boy and girl she'd almost killed when she first landed, the ones that had seemed frozen in shock and pain at the sight of her.

The blue mech standing over her inside some kind of med bay, the red femme carrying her when she was so much smaller. This mech flying beside her high in the sky.

"Who am I?" She whispered, wincing when another wave of pain crashed through her. The pain began to ease, fading to a sharp ache in her chest and head. She was trembling violently by the time she could see again, the new memories piling on her processor heavily. She felt weak, broken. She sank down tiredly, repeating herself, "Who am I?"

She looked at the mech. His body was quiet again, and his arm had dropped back down to the ground. Lunar Song stretched her neck out to touch her nose to his still face. "_Jetfire_..."

* * *

><p><strong>Finally making some progress. <strong>

**Much love, tell me what you think.**

**Lunar Song, the trine, Sundance, her family and friends, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56**

Critter winced, pushing a dusty, bloody hand through his wild red hair. His green eyes were half closed with exhaustion. He was tired physically and emotionally, between everything that had happened and was _still _happening. He was worried sick, about Sundance, about Demona and Jolt if they ran into the seekers, about Ash and the little girl she'd hidden somewhere.

The gravel shifted around him. Critter caught a flash of yellow armor, and Ratchet's voice echoed over him, "You're damaged, Alex."

"Find Ash," He said simply.

The medic hovered, ready to argue, but then someone came thrashing through the destruction. He turned his head to see Ironhide, crunching the debris beneath his feet like the brick and steel was nothing but dried leaves on the earth. He had his hand cupped around something, holding it with a gentleness uncharacteristic of the weapon specialist.

Critter's heart pounded when a step jostled whatever he was holding, and a slim, long human arm slipped off to dangle between his fingers. Above him, Ratchet vented sharply, "Primus."

Critter dug his fingers into the gravel, ignoring the pain it caused, and hauled his body closer a foot or so before Ironhide knelt and lowered the limp form of a teenage girl to the ground. His breath froze in his chest when his eyes scanned over matted, bloody blonde hair and a bruised skinny frame. He whispered, "Ash?" He waited, reaching a hand out hesitantly. When she didn't even stir, he swallowed. "Ashlynn?"

A red laser-like light scanned over the small girl in Ironhide's huge armored hand, and Ratchet said, "Her heart still beats. She's alive, but her frame is bruised."

"You mean...her bones?" Critter slipped his hands beneath her arms like she was just a child, and lifted her slightly to drag her off of Ironhide's palm. She was heavy, and he was shaking with the effort of lifting her with his already weak arms, but he managed not to drop her too heavily on the ground beside him.

Ratchet seemed to think over his words before saying, "Yes. She must have been thrown...it's wonder how she didn't shatter on impact." He raised his optics to Ironhide, nodding. The huge mech turned and lumbered off to keep searching. Critter reached down to her, taking hold of her shoulder with the intentions to shake her until she shouted or hit him for waking her up.

She was alive. Ratchet had said so himself, she was just bruised, nothing fatally serious. She would live, and in a day or so, she would back to her old annoying, hard-headed, cussing self. She would survive. But after everything that had happened, all the way back to her and Sundance being taken prisoner by those damn Hunters, he couldn't bring himself to relax.

They'd nearly lost them both, and it still scared the hell out of him. They were his nieces. Not by blood, but the bond was there. He had seen both of them grow up, loved them, supported them. They were his family. And, from the way things were looking, it seemed as though he had already lost one of them.

Critter squeezed his eyes shut, thinking of Sundance. He still had some faith in her, as small and hopeless as it felt now. She was Demona's daughter, and Demona had succumbed to darkness then fought her way back to them. Sundance was capable of doing the same. But there was smoke still curling up towards the blue sky, staining it an ugly gray. There was shattered booths and crushed stands, shoes and pieces of clothing scattered across the ground where people had flailed to free themselves from crushing jaws. He had _seen_ her trap and scoop up mouthfuls of humans to swallow them whole. The images burned in his mind.

_Where does it end? _

Instead of shaking her like a doll, he clenched his fingers in the sleeve of her shirt. Ratchet stood over them, watching as a few of the several searching autobots brought back more wounded. Two more women. A man, one Critter recognized as the one that had almost turned back to help him and the little girl when he'd fallen. Ratchet scanned each one of them, counting through their injuries and dealing with the more severe ones himself.

It wasn't long before sirens began to sound, a string of emergency vehicles and cop cars swerved into sight and rode through the destruction. The people stared at the autobots but didn't waste time. They joined in the search, cops calling in reports over their radios and paramedics rushing to the wounded.

Ash was pulled away from Critter, lifted into the arms of one of them as he scurried back to one of the ambulances. Hands appeared around his shoulders and someone braced an arm against his back. He let them pick him up, hating himself for losing his legs again. They set him up on the back end of one of the vehicles, and went about asking him questions while taking care of his wounds and wrapping both legs in a temporary splint.

He answered them numbly, mind elsewhere. He didn't snap out of his trance until a shout rang up and people scattered. He jumped, tensing up in fear of it being another attack-but they were running _towards _something, not _away. _He blinked, green eyes falling on the source of all the commotion as both, man and mech scrambled.

It was a little girl, clothes dirty and skin coated in dust. She was running, dodging every attempt they were making to catch her. Critter leaned closer, eyes widening slightly when he realized that she was running straight towards _him._ Her hair was dark and straight, her blue eyes wide. "Oh God..." He whispered, raising an arm to her. _She survived._

Before he could call out to her, she was clambering up the bumper his legs were draped over. She slammed into his side, burying her face in her chest and wrapping all four limbs around him so tight it was hard for him to breathe.

Relief flooded through him. He closed his arm around her, pressing his hand to her back. A few paramedics gathered around, unsure of what to do at first. When one tried to coax her away she held Critter tighter and shook her head. Critter looked over her quietly, not seeing anything worse than a few scrapes on her arms. He said quietly, "Hey there."

She loosened a tiny bit, turning her head to peek up at him with her face still pressed to his shirt. He said, "The doctors want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm okay." She said hurriedly, tiny voice hoarse.

He tried to remove her himself but she shook her head again and clung. She whimpered, "Please don't let me go!"

Critter stilled, unable to respond. The fear in her words struck him, and for a moment he couldn't do anything but stare at the back of her head as she went back to clutching him. The paramedics tried to speak with her, using kind voices, but she wouldn't budge. When none of their coaxing worked, one of them just reached out and grabbed her, yanking her away.

She screamed, reaching for Critter as she was transferred to a different set of arms. She fought them, kicking and hurling her little fists at their faces and arms. Critter leaned towards her, taking hold of one of her hands and squeezing it gently. He promised, "I won't let you go."

She fell quiet, staring at him. The paramedics sent him a grateful look before cleaning up her wounds and bandaging them. She was then placed back in his hold, where she stayed. Critter wrapped both arms around her, watching everyone move about but not really seeing. He asked, "What's your name?"

"Brooklyn," She whispered, like it was a secret. He smiled when she added in the same tone, "what's your name?"

"Alex." She shifted against him, curling slightly with her little legs bent.

She said, "Hi, Alex."

A few moments later they started packing their ambulance up. Critter, with Brooklyn still curled up in his arms, was lifted and carried further inside. To avoid another episode of screaming and kicking, they set him up on one of the benches inside, and one of the paramedics sat down beside him to make sure nothing happened.

Critter didn't know where they were when the girl fell to sleep, but her breathing slowed down and she loosened against him, completely leaning into his chest and stomach. Critter tilted his head back, closing his eyes.

"She your's?"

Critter blinked, looking at the guy who was watching with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Is she your's?" He repeated, motioning with his hand, "You don't look related, but I've never seen a kid freak over a complete stranger before. Is she your kid?"

"...No." Alex said, blinking.

"Well, do you know her parents?"

Critter's heart clenched. He said, voice softer, "No. I just found her in the middle of the fair, after we were attacked. I think her parents were...killed."

The mans face saddened, "I'm sorry, man. It must have been hell on earth. But it's over now, right?"

Critter blinked slowly, "It's never over that quick."

The guy stared at him like he was crazy, leaning away from him slightly. Critter looked away from him, whispering, "It goes on and on." He rested his head against the side of the vehicle, listening to the sound of their breathing and the rattle of the equipment as the vehicle ambled on. He felt empty and worn, threadbare. The only thing keeping him together was the knowledge that Ash was safe, and so was Brooklyn. He didn't dare think about anything else, the attack or how many people had been snatched up around him an hour or so before. He thought, for a moment, that he would really just like to fade away, so he could just erase it all.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Brooklyn fisted her hands in his shirt then pressed into him, like she was desperate to keep him grounded and in her arms.

* * *

><p><strong>I LOVED writing this one. I think a big part of it was just getting away from the 'cons for a few minutes to focus on the humans. And I enjoyed writing the interaction between Critter and Brooklyn. <strong>

**Anyway, tell me what you think. Much love. **

**Critter, his family and friends, Brooklyn, the trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

_Who am I?_

Lunar Song staggered, optics dim. The pain pulsed through her processor and spark, slowly numbing over. She let her head hang, unable to tear herself from the memories flashing through her mind. _Who...am I..._

Her optics were pointed down at her wicked white claws, but she saw nothing but bright, clear blue skies. She could feel a warm wind caressing her armor, whistling through the blade-like feathers of her wings. She was flying, rising higher and higher. Her spark was singing, and she was happy. It was a warm, childish joy that filled her body and breathed life into her. She was flying, and she was happy. So happy. She hadn't been this way in what felt like ages, not since before Bloodstar had revived her.

Something twinged in her gut. _Feathers. I have feathers. _She kneaded the dirt beneath her claws, shifting her weight carefully to twist and stare with half-shuttered optics at her wings. No, her wings were webbed, the substance thin and smooth, stretched out over a skeletal frame. She blinked slowly at them, feeling the twinge grow to a complete twist. This was wrong. Everything was wrong.

"I am Lunar Song," She whispered, trying to convince herself, "my creator is Bloodstar...I..." She moved away from Jetfire, shuttering her optics as the pain suddenly flared up in her spark again, as if in reaction to her words, "I am a decepticon. I hunt autobots, I kill humans..."

_I killed humans. _

Lunar Song went cold, freezing to the core of her frame. A violent shudder wracked through her when she suddenly saw one of the humans, one of the very few that had gotten away from her. The tall, slender female with pale yellow hair and glass-blue organic optics. The look of fear and agonized recognition on her face, the way how she was paralyzed by it. _I know you._

_ I killed humans. _Lunar Song started to lean to one side, weakening. "I had to," She hissed, "we _had _to feed."

_Jetfire is gone. _

Lunar Song hit the ground, sending a subtle tremble through the earth from the impact. She lay motionless, a short distance away from the felled autobot. Suddenly she was flying again, soaring so high that nothing could touch her but the sun and the wind. She was laughing, because she was always happiest in flight. She tilted her head when she sensed someone swoop down beside her. Her optics focused on the mech, transformed down into his heavy alternate. His black armor had recently been replaced, so it shined. _Jetfire._

"We had to feed," She whispered, "I..."

'_You helped destroy him.' _Lunar Song snarled quietly, opening her optics when she saw a red face in her processor, the armor beneath the femme's optics was scratched and ruined. Her elegantly curved red horns were dented and broken. Her optics were bright, a searing red that burned like angry firelight. '_He was...my best friend. You destroyed him.'_

"I have no friends," Lunar Song sank her claws into the dirt and hauled herself back to her feet.

The red femme's face arranged into a snarl, baring lethal black fangs that were streaked in energon, '_We have become a monster.'_

Lunar Song roared, the sound vibrating through the air and echoing across the barren land. "_Get out of my head!_"

_'No,' _The femme whispered, _'get out of mine.' _She faded then, disappearing in a blur of red. Lunar Song clenched her jaws so tight the gears in her skull creaked. She whipped her head back to glare at Jetfire's still frame. The motion made her dizzy, but she shook it off and started towards him with a purpose. "What have you done to me?" She snarled, "you rusted piece of traitorous slag! _What have you done!_"

She stalked towards him, a fierce growl rolling in her chest. She stopped abruptly when a voice whispered, soft and sad, _'Spitfire.'_

Lunar Song jerked as if she'd been struck. Her body went cold again, and she stilled. She strained to listen. Her optics widened when the same voice ordered, '_Fly, youngling!' _A sudden overwhelming fear filled her, and she tilted her head up to the sky on impulse. Her optics widened when she saw the scarred, silver form of a jet-shaped seeker closing in on her.

Her breath caught, every inch of her being screaming for her to run. But she could only stand, frozen in her fear. The voice shouted, _'Sundance!'_

The gray seeker closed in on her, stretching out with a clawed hand. He hissed, _'Hello, sparkling.'_

Lunar Song finally moved, lunging to the side to escape his claws. She hit the ground and stumbled, sides heaving as she snapped her head back towards the seeker. But there was nothing. Nothing but a cloudy pale sky. Lunar Song stared owlishly, processor stuttering to wrap around what had just happened.

_I'm going insane. _She tensed her shoulders, _I'm losing my processor._

"Bloodstar," Lunar Song whispered, crouching down and spreading her wings, "I have to find my creator." _She can fix this. She can help me._

She shoved off of the earth, pumping her wings as hard as she could until she was racing through the sky.

* * *

><p>Rex pressed a hand to his face, closing his eyes. He was so fucking tired, and there was this pain in his head that just wouldn't go away. He cussed under his breath, cursing everything from God to the autobots to himself. She was hurt again, his baby. Twice, now. And he hadn't been able to do a thing about it.<p>

"Rex."

Rex ignored his best friend, watching the horizon. The paramedics had been pretty much herded to the autobot base by the military like cattle, and none of them had been happy about it. Something about making sure none of the survivors of the latest attack were suffering from energon burns. There had only been a handful of them, a few women, a few men, including Ash and Critter. Then there was a tiny little girl, who, from what he'd seen and heard, had become Critter's attachment.

Rex had been there. He had driven straight to base when he got the phone call, and had waited outside beneath the sun by himself until the ambulances started over the dunes towards them. He'd ran beside them as they wheeled Ash in on a stretcher, her body blotched all over in pink energon burns and heavy bruises. He'd followed them into the human infirmary, where they'd promptly kicked him out even though he told him, several times, that he was her father.

And now, a few hours later, he was here.

Pockets came to stand beside him, dwarfing him in size. He had shown up shortly after they brought the wounded in. They'd kicked him out, too, along with Gears...who threw one hell of a fit about it. The woman was getting up there in years, and although Rex freaking hated it, he knew that she wouldn't be around for much longer. But still, the woman was one hell of a fighter when it came down to her kids. How they managed to cart her out, he'd never know.

"Where's Shark?" Pockets asked quietly.

Rex lowered his hands to shove them into the pockets of his old cargoes, "On her way. What about your mom?"

"Watching Backlash and Flashback...possibly plotting the violent, unexplainable deaths of a few nurses."

"...Sounds about right."

They sank into silence for a few minutes. Rex stared at the floor between his old converses. Looking at them, he thought about all the times Ash had teased and told him to get new shoes. More than anything, he wished that she was standing in front of him, pointing out the holes and peeling soles on his shoes, scolding him for not taking better care of himself.

"She'll be okay."

Rex almost jumped, snapping narrowed brown eyes to the giant standing beside him. Pockets continued, bright green eyes fixed on the sands stretched out before them, "She's just bruised this time. She'll be okay, Zach."

It was not what Rex wanted to hear, and he bit his tongue to keep from snarling at Pockets. He knew that she was just bruised, but that was just on the inside. She'd been gone for a month, living on her own and stalking the country for Sundance. She'd been missing for weeks, and he was still trying to understand why. Why had she just taken off like that? Her bullet wound hadn't even finished healing yet. She'd barely been able to walk, but she did. She stood up and went right out the door, and nobody would fucking stop her.

She'd never done something like that before, and it freaked him the hell out. When Pockets started to say something else, Rex cut in quietly, "Don't you dare fucking tell me that every things going to be okay."

Pockets clenched his jaw, looking at him. Rex tilted his head up to glare at the sky, "Fuck it all. God, I can't do this anymore."

"Zach-"

Zach found himself smiling, despite all of the anger and pain and confusion in him. It was too much, "She used to dance. All night if we let her. She'd dress up, put on Rae-Rae's shoes and she'd run up to me and she'd say, 'come dance with me, daddy.' She'd have this big, dumb smile on her face, like nothing bad could ever happen." He paused, picturing it in his head. The memories were old and creased, like a photograph he'd look at all the time. "When...we separated, she stopped. I think...she stopped being happy. The only time she really smiles anymore is when she's with Sundance. I was always so fucking jealous...but look what it's doing to her now. She's falling apart."

Pockets said nothing.

"I can't save her. I love her so much, I'd walk on the sun for her...but I can't save her. It's killing me. She's suffering, and I can't do a damn thing, so no, everything is _not _okay."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I'd do if all of this happened to Rose..."

Rex shook his head, switching subjects before he started bawling like a teenage girl, "Did you hear anything about Critter?"

Pockets huffed, eyebrows drawing up, "It's nothing...serious, they said. His legs are all screwed to hell, they're saying that he'll never walk again."

"That's what they said when he was born, wasn't it?" Rex snorted, "He was walking _and _driving. That's one stubborn ass kid."

Pockets smiled faintly, "That's Alex."

"What about the kid?" Rex squinted, thinking of the tiny dark haired girl that had been clinging to Pockets' smaller brother like she was trying to meld their bodies together.

"She's fine, but she's scared of all the autobots and she won't let go of Alex. I don't know what happened, but she's convinced that he's her new best friend or something."

"I was hoping he'd find himself a girl, I just wasn't expecting her to be so young." Rex joked halfheartedly. Pockets grinned and opened his mouth to add something. They both paused and turned when feet rushed towards them.

One of the paramedics was shuffling towards them. He waved an arm to get their attention, then called, "They're awake!"

Both of the men turned and rushed after him, following him all the way back to the infirmary.

* * *

><p>"She's becoming a problem," Havoc started, walking out of the trees, "There's no signs of her in the woods."<p>

"Because she flew," Darkfire rumbled, standing over deep claw marks in the earth. She shook slightly, raising her optics to sky, "Good riddance."

"Bloodstar won't be happy," Havoc folded her wings tighter, raising her head, "we _did_ put some effort into Lunar Song."

"I knew this would happen. Once an autobot, always an autobot."

"What do we do?"

Darkfire swung her huge head around to meet her optics, "We leave her. If she shows her face again we eat her." She paused, "those slagging autobots have taken Bloodstar's wings. She's practically useless without them."

"Then we don't have a choice but to go in and get her."

"No," Darkfire flexed her wings, "all of that sparkling talk last night has me hungry for one."

Havoc stilled. Darkfire grinned wickedly, "When was the last time you fed on a screaming, squirming sparkling?"

"Not since the beginning of the war," Havoc said quietly.

"After all of this, I think we deserve it." Darkfire opened her heavy wings, "the autobots are distracted with picking up our hunting ground. The sparklings will be unprotected, an easy kill." Havoc waited for her to take flight. She looked over the trees one last time, like she was expecting to see the young femme emerge. When she was sure Lunar Song was gone, she followed.

* * *

><p><strong>OKAY...<strong>

**Lunar Song is beginning to unravel-she's beginning to see things, hear voices. It shouldn't be long now. Also, that part where she saw the 'silver seeker' was the part in 'The Last Flight' where Starscream attacked her when she was a sparkling, which started with him tearing her out of the sky and ended with Demona tearing his spark apart. You know, if anyone was confused or didn't remember...Sundance is waking up, slowly. Happy day.**

**I wanted to get Rex in there somewhere for some reason, even though he's depressed...cheer up, Rex. Things will get better.**

**And where is Grimlock? **

**Lunar Song, the trine, Sundance, her family, friends, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58**

Ash stared up at the ceiling, silent as the nurses and paramedics ran back and forth between the beds. One paused by her's to check her fluids then darted off to the next. From what she could hear, everyone was waking up. Every one of the survivors was either moving around, asking questions, or groaning. There was a whopping six of them in total, made up of herself, Critter, the little girl, two more women and a man. She hadn't made so much as a glance at the others, but she'd heard a couple of the doctors muttering back and forth about them all.

Six people, out of the hundred or so that had been walking about the fair. _Fucking decepticons._

Ash closed her eyes, willing herself to just fade away. She hated being in here, but she hurt like hell and she didn't have anywhere else to go. She wished like hell that she could just get up and step outside, and see Sundance standing there in the hall. The dragon would scold her for being such a 'slagging idiot' then she'd tell her how worried she was about Ash.

Ash's heart ached. Sundance wasn't Sundance anymore. She had changed, she was gone. _She's not my Sunny anymore. _

Ash nearly jumped when she felt a warm, scarred hand on her arm. She opened her eyes and turned her head, focusing on the face of her father. Rex sat down slowly, looking twenty years older than he really was. His brown eyes weren't laughing, or even pained. He was just exhausted. They just stared at her for a moment.

He spoke first, raising a hand to pick at her matted blonde hair, "I love you, Ash, more than anything in this world. You know that, don't you? You're my baby."

Ash hesitated, before making herself sit up. "I know, daddy."

"Then why would you do that to me?" He asked, sounding as tired as he looked, "why would you just take off like that?"

"You left me." Ash whispered, looking down at her hands. She narrowed her eyes, turning her palms up. Spots of her skin where she'd been burnt by Sundance's energon shined like smooth glass. "All I wanted...was to have my family. My whole family. But you left me..."

Rex sat stone still, listening. His eyes never left her.

"Sundance...she was always there. If I...needed her, she was never far away. She'd always show up," Ash smiled weakly, "she'd come down out of the sky, all majestic like. Sometimes we'd fly, sometimes we'd just sit and talk. I just...I couldn't let her go...I just wanted to find her, to bring her home."

"Ashlynn," Rex smoothed a hand over her hair, "I know you love her, but it's fucking nuts to think that you can take on a group of decepticons by yourself. You could have died."

"It doesn't matter." Ash slackened her shoulders, "she's one of them now. She's gone."

He shifted, but Ash didn't look up. She tensed, then blinked owlishly when he wrapped his tin arms around her and pulled her to him, holding her in his lap like she was still five or six. She hesitated for a moment, but then leaned into him, tucking her head beneath his chin to rest against his chest. She closed her eyes when he ran his fingers through her hair, carefully untangling it.

"I'm going to tell you a secret, Ash." He said, "Your mother and I got into a lot of fights before you were born. That whole 'the first ten years of marriage are the hardest' shit, but we didn't give up on each other. It was hard as hell, but the day you were born was the best day of my life. I know things didn't work out like we wanted, but if we had given up on each other in the beginning, you wouldn't be here."

Ash said nothing, biting back on a smart ass remark about the two of them giving up on each other anyways.

"It took me a long time to figure it out," Rex said quietly, "and I'm still learning, but the best way to love someone is to never give up on them. No matter what they do or who they become, you gotta have faith in them."

Ash opened her eyes, whispering back, "Is that why you still call mom?"

She felt him nod. Something seemed to split inside of her, and, before she could stop it, a loud sob racked through her body. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, clenching her jaw as the tears came. She cried loudly, and for once, she didn't give a shit about who heard or saw. She held on to him and choked out, "G-God, dad! I don't know what to do!"

"I know it's hard, and I know it hurts like hell, but you have to keep trying. It's all you can do."

Ash cried into his shirt, soaking it through. He said nothing else, taking it silently.

* * *

><p><em>'I see him.' <em>

Demona's hidden red optics fixed on the crumpled frame of the old Seeker, his black armor mashed down and torn in several different places. The dirt was soaked in energon and fluids. Her words seemed to echo through their bond, heavily weighted with her fears. Her mate said nothing in return, though she could sense his anxiety.

She dipped down and transformed, landing in a crouch within walking distance of the old mech. Her optics saddened, dimming as she took in his state. She started towards him, taking slow, almost careful steps. She hoped like hell that he would online and start with his nonsense, but Jetfire remained still. She stepped over the pieces of his cane, then knelt down beside him. She pressed a hand to one of the few plates of armor that hadn't been damaged, and ran the scan.

Physically, he was a wreck. His body looked smaller, broken, than what she remembered. One of his arms had been ripped from his body and lay several feet away in it's own puddle of energon. The plates of his beard were bent and arranged weird around his face. His wings were damaged. In many places, he'd been torn open and almost eaten through. The wide, deep holes littered his body. He was vitally low on energon.

But there was hope.

Demona tensed when she found it, and she quickly grasped the mech's shoulder and turned him over. She pulled at his chest plates and opened them in time to see his spark flicker. It was brief, and faint, but after a second, it did it again. She found herself smiling tiredly. Finally, after all the slag that had happened lately, there was something good.

_'He's online.' _

The relief on Jolt's end was instant. She could hear the roar of his engine now. Demona went to work, transforming her hands into tools as she started sealing cables and repairing what she could. The two of them would need to donate energon, and they'd have to call Ratchet and Optimus for an emergency transport back to base, but she had a feeling that the old mech would make it. When Jolt reached them and transformed, Demona fell back to let him take care of the most important repairs.

She reached through to Optimus, tugging on his spark just enough to get his attention. He spoke first, _'What have you found, youngling?'_

Demona finished sealing cables in the mech's back and went on to patch up some of the torn wiring there, _'Jetfire lives, but he's in critical condition. He will need to be brought back to base immediately.'_

There was a pause, then he said, sounding relieved himself, _'Ratchet and I are on our way. Thank you, Demona.'_

_ 'What about Sundance?' _She asked.

_'We will need both of you to tend to Jetfire's damage if it's as extensive as it sounds.'_

Demona slowed down at the words. Her spark ached. He tried to soothe it, _'I swear to you that we will find her, but an autobot is at risk.'_

_ 'You're asking me to leave her in the hands of decepticons.' _Demona argued.

_'Grimlock is searching.'_

_ 'That makes me feel better,' _She bit back. She bristled at the thought of Grimlock, who was famous for his wrath and his size, going after Sundance himself. If she attacked him, she would hardly stand a chance. Demona had faith in her daughter, but in this state, she didn't know how well she would fair against the slagging 'king' of the dinobots. She began to argue, _'We can sense her spark now, we can find her. Let me, at least, go after her. Jolt is the medic here, anyway, not me.'_

_ 'But you have experience. We need you here.'_

_ 'My __**sparkling **__needs me, Prime.'_

_ 'That's an order, youngling.' _The bond stretched, and she knew that the conversation had ended. Anger curled around her spark, raw and burning. Her optics narrowed.

"What is it?" Jolt asked without looking up from his work.

"We are to return to base with Jetfire and Ratchet." She spoke tonelessly, "both of us."

He paused, and she caught it when his shoulders tensed with the same anger she felt. "He's not going to let you go after her." He stated, voice matching hers.

"He's ordered me to stay with Jetfire and do what I can to help with repairs. He's _never _asked me to do this before." Demona continued, "It's like he's trying to keep me separated from her." _It's wrong._

"I don't like this," Jolt said slowly, like he was testing the words, "I don't think Grimlock would intentionally hurt Sundance, but sending him in place of one of her own creators isn't right. How will he know where to look?"

Demona sent feelings of her agreement through their bond, moving to a different location on Jetfire's body when she had done all she could for the wound. The worked in silence for a moment, each focused solely on saving Jetfire's life. When his lines were sealed and some of his core systems repaired, Demona pulled one of her cables free and fit it into the mech's main line, filling it with her energon.

Jolt was crouched down beside her, watching carefully, "What are you going to do?"

"I...I want to go after her." Demona narrowed her optics, feeling the energon drain from her body and into Jetfire's, "but...I tried so hard to reach her there. I pulled at her spark, but it only made her angrier."

"We may drive her away if we keep chasing her."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Demona snapped, clenching her dentals.

His words came out angry, like he hated himself for speaking them, "We obey Prime for now, and pray to Primus that Sundance returns to us."

"What if she doesn't?" Demona whispered.

"Then we hunt down the seekers, and we make them suffer."

* * *

><p><em>The autobots have her. <em>

Lunar Song pumped her wings, accelerating. She ignored the pulsing ache in the limbs, tired from her reckless flying. But she couldn't stop, she had to get to Bloodstar. She was so confused now, her life was crumbling around her. Nothing seemed to make sense. Her processor was still swarming with strange memories, her spark was a raging mess, twisting and spinning in her chest with raw emotion.

_I have to get to the autobots. _

She didn't know how she knew where the autobot base was, but there was a pull inside her, one she knew to trust. _Bloodstar will have answers. She'll fix everything. _

Lunar Song clenched her jaws, narrowing her optics as she tried to shove down the colored images in her processor. She couldn't control them, she couldn't block them out or stop thinking about them. Every time she tried, they would leave her for a minute or two, then come back full force.

The terrain shifted beneath her, and soon she was soaring over sand, not trees and buildings. She looked down, optics widening when her sensors picked up energon signatures. Her frame tensed when she spotted them, a handful of tiny little mechs darting across the dunes like they were up to something. When she passed over them, one of the three froze.

She nearly fell out of the sky when she felt something pull on her spark, hopeful and persistent. "Bloodstar," She whispered, turning her eyes to the mass of giant structures in the distance. Her creator was calling her, she must have known that she was near.

Lunar Song rushed towards the autobot base.

* * *

><p>"Flash!" Solaris hissed, glaring at the blue mech, "what are you <em>thinking<em>!"

"Mom and dad are on their way back," Flashback snapped, glaring at them, "I wanna be the first one to see Sundance when they bring her back!"

"We're not supposed to be out here!" Solaris argued, "we're going to get in so much trouble..."

"Then you should have stayed! Slag, stop being such a fraggin' wimp!" Flashback leaned around Warhammer's bulk to look back at the base. Thank Primus, no one had noticed they were missing yet and they were still in the clear. He turned forward again and started stalking off into the sand.

Warhammer spoke up next, "How do you know they'll have her?"

"I just do, okay!" Flashback huffed, "mom _and_ dad promised me they'd bring her back home. I'm gonna be there, I wanna be the first one there."

"You already said that," Solaris said under his breath, "you remember what happened the _last _time we decided to 'venture out'?"

"Yeah, we saw Sundance." Flashback said over his shoulder.

"After we nearly got our cans shot off," Warhammer muttered.

The three of them froze when a colossal shadow passed over them. Flashback's optics widened when he felt the pull on his spark, alerting him that one of his siblings was close. His spark spun harshly, and he threw his head back to stare up at the sky with hope-filled optics. His friends also looked up, though out of fear.

"What the pits was that?!" Warhammer exclaimed.

Flashback stepped back, scanning the sky, "It's _her._"

"Sundance?" Solaris breathed.

Flashback searched, straining his senses. But he saw nothing. The skies were clear. Whatever had passed over them was gone.

"What...?" Flashback raised a hand to his spark, "she was here...I..."

Warhammer kept looking while Solaris turned concerned optics on Flashback. Flashback continued, "I _felt _her. She was _here._"

"We should go back inside before it gets dark." Solaris reasoned, "our fathers will be home soon."

"I _know _she's here." Flashback started forward with a purpose, stomping through the sand with his fists at his sides. His bright blue optics were narrowed, fixed on the sky. The other two glanced at each other but followed him anyway. He stopped and grinned wide when he saw the glint of armor in the distance. He turned to his friends excitedly and pointed, "See! There she is!"

Solaris moved ahead of them, squinting to see. Warhammer waited in silence. Flashback turned back towards the figure, blinking when he realized that it was much closer than when he'd first seen it. "Wow, she's flying _really _fast."

"Flash," Solaris said slowly, stepping back, "I don't think that's Sundance!"

"What are you talking about?!" Flashback glared at him, then whirled back around to gesture wildly towards the approaching flier, "Of course it's-"

His optics landed on the dragon and widened. It was closer now, so close he could see the flier clearly. She was much smaller than Sundance, with no arms. Her body was long and lithe, her armor a mix of dead silver and jet black with touches of scarlet. Cold red optics stared straight at them, the light of them highlighting the decepticon emblem branded on the flier's helm. _Not Sundance!_ His spark screamed, _not Sundance!_

"Run!" Flashback shouted, turning to charge towards base. He grabbed Warhammer by the armor on his shoulder and drug him when the sparkling just stood there. Solaris ran beside them, snapping at him.

"I told you this was a bad idea!"

"Shut up and run!" Flashback yelled, "'Hammer, call your mom!"

"She knows!" Warhammer answered.

They managed to make it a few more feet before the familiar whistle of wind breaking over wings filled their audios. There was a heavy gust of wind, and something solid slammed into them, sending them flying through the air. Flashback hit the ground hard, rolling through the sand to smack into Warhammer's side. He gasped, throwing a hand down to clench at the bashed armor on his hip, "Fraggin'-"

"Hello, sparklings," A cold, feminine voice whispered. He pushed himself up, legs trembling as his systems reeled. He focused flickering blue optics on another, much _larger _dragon landed heavily. She was grinning wickedly, showing rows and rows of teeth as thick as his body. Fear seized his spark, and he froze.

In his spark, he was pulling, yanking on his mother and father's sparks. He called Sundance, too, out of instinct. But she wasn't in sight. His parents were still far away. The big dragon stalked towards them, "Scream and struggle all you want, little ones. It will make the kill so much more enjoyable."

Warhammer got to his feet, followed by Solaris. Solaris stared at them with wide optics, but said, sounding braver than he looked, "You're in autobot territory! If you stay here, you'll die!"

"Then we will make this quick," The smaller femme said, landing on the other side of them. The dragons circled. The three sparklings pressed together, back-to-back. The big one lunged first, opening her jaws wide. Flashback shoved his friends back, but the big seeker was quick, and her huge teeth closed around his arm and bit down.

Flashback screamed as loud as he possibly could, feeling the earth leave his feet when the dragon lifted him. He kicked and struggled, continuing to screech when the femme jerked his body sharply. His arm popped, and searing agony flooded through him until he could see nothing but red.

"Darkfire!" The smaller dragon hissed, "hurry up and kill him before the autobots come!"

The big dragon tossed Flashback into the air. Backlash twisted, turning his body in time to see her jaws spread open beneath him, and it suddenly struck him what was happening.

She was going to eat him.

She was going to eat all of them.

He shuttered his optics and clenched his dentals, cursing himself for being stupid enough to drag all three of them out here alone, without letting anyone know where they were. He onlined his optics one last time to stare down at the open maw beneath him, and-

Something slammed into the dragon, sending her tumbling back head-over-tail in the sands from the impact. His optics widened when something pale white lashed out beneath him, and his body hit warm armor then bounced off to land on the ground. He scrambled, moving to huddle in the newcomer's shadow, instinctively knowing that she would protect him.

His wide, frightened optics turned up to look at his savior when she whispered in a familiar voice, "Touch the sparklings again, and I will tear your tongue from your head!"

His spark shined with hope. He could do nothing but stare as she shifted over him, not even noticing when Warhammer and Solaris dove beneath her to crouch beside him.

"Who is it?" Solaris hissed.

"It's her." Flashback whispered back, voice full of awe and pain as he grasped at his bleeding limb.

The huge dragon got to her feet and shook the sand out of her armor with an angry snarl. The smallest of the three leaned down and ground out, "Lunar Song! How _dare_ you!"

"You will come to regret every time you spilled sparkling blood!" The white femme swore, sounding enraged.

Flashback raised a hand to brush his fingertips over the white femme's stomach plating, "It's Sundance."

* * *

><p><strong>O.O<strong>

**Tell me what you think.**

**Lunar Song, the trine, Sundance, her family, friends, and the story all belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59**

Lunar Song went rigid when she felt one of the sparklings reach up to touch her armor. It was a tender touch, as if he might know her, as if he might love her. Whatever it meant, it made her spark pulse with emotions that were new and familiar at the same time. The need to protect. A dark rage. A sense of recognition. And, apparently, a complete disregard for common sense.

She realized all too soon that she should _not _have attacked Darkfire like that. The huge femme was glowering, fixing blood red optics on her that were lit with rage. Her steam-shovel jaws trembled with her anger, and for a moment, all the femme could do was stand there and seethe. Lunar Song kept her senses open, body crouched over the three shuddering sparklings like a living shield. She listened to Havoc as the smaller femme padded back and forth, uncertain. She watched Darkfire as she kneaded the sands with her claws.

Lunar Song tried to wrap her processor over what had just happened. She had been well on her way to the autobot base, racing across the sky to save her creator. She was close, and had been pulling her wings in to descend, when she heard it.

A spark wrenching cry of pain that echoed over the dunes. It shattered her world in an instant, and suddenly she couldn't even remember Bloodstar's designation, or the reason why she had made the desperate flight here. She didn't know what it was, or why it had affected her like this, but she was wheeling around so fast she grew faint, and she was rushing back the way she came.

She couldn't remember a time when she'd worked her wings so hard, but she had forced the soreness from her limbs and soared. Lunar Song could hardly process a thought, all she knew was that someone needed her, that she absolutely _had _to be there. When she had seen the sparklings, surrounded by the seekers, her spark had filled with an overwhelming rage, and she had attacked.

Lunar Song had hit Darkfire so hard that she thought her frame might just fall apart, but she managed to land on her feet and slide through the sand while her opponent literally tumbled down one of the dunes. She shifted her body, driven by instinct alone, and put the sparkling in the center of her shadow, right beneath her belly. She opened her wings to curve around her, and bared her lethal fangs. She took notice when the sparkling struggled to his feet and huddled beneath her, like he knew that she would protect him, and it only made her want to fight for him even more.

She didn't understand this, any of it, but some part of her realized that all of the memories and voices in her processor had died down. It was like they wanted her to focus on protecting him, and she didn't dare question it. She snarled, leaning down slightly when Darkfire hauled herself up, "Touch the sparklings again, and I will tear your tongue from your head!"

Her spark pulsed when the other two sparklings scrambled for her, almost slamming into the first that was already beneath her. "Who is it?" One had whispered.

The first one, the one she knew she had to protect, answered, "It's her."

Lunar Song blocked out their hushed tones when Havoc growled, "Lunar Song! How _dare_ you!"

"You will come to regret every time you spilled sparkling energon!" Lunar Song promised, shifting on her feet to swing her tail back and forth. The energon blades on it slid into the open, gleaming in the shape of a wicked, jagged spade. She felt her belly heat with fire, then the touch of the tiny sparkling when he reached up to brush his fingers over her armor. The touch burned her, more than any flame possibly could, and she felt the insistent tugging on her spark again.

_NOT Bloodstar, _she realized. _Not my creator._

She clenched her jaws when Darkfire started towards her, death and chaos made solid. She raised her heavy head and grinned, "You know what this means, don't you?"

Havoc leaned down and took slow, light steps to the left, towards the bigger seeker. She whispered, "You have attacked us, you are a traitor."

"And we _eat _traitors," Darkfire finished, "and you will make a _fine _meal, Lunar."

"You leave the sparklings out of this," Lunar Song hissed, "let them go!"

"Now why would we let our dessert go?" Darkfire chuckled, and lunged.

Lunar Song slid back in the sand effortlessly, coiling her body to the side to avoid the seeker's armor-crushing bite. Her optics found an opening in the femme's neck armor, and she darted her open jaws inside before Darkfire could pull back. She clamped down hard on layers of cables and wiring and wrenched free, tearing her wide open in a spray of hot energon. Darkfire yanked back and swung her head, hitting Lunar Song in the shoulder.

She stumbled but remained standing. She shifted her weight without thought and lifted her front half of her body to anchor her claws in Darkfire's armored helm. For a brief moment, the massive femme held still. Lunar Song's armor began to spin around her throat, the liquid fire rising up to spill over the seeker's head.

Darkfire bellowed, pulling back. Lunar Song let her go, turning to Havoc next when the smaller femme ran forward. She swung her body hard, pivoting on one leg as she smacked her spaded tail into the small femme's body and sent her flying through the air. She kept moving, pulling a complete one-eighty so that her hind quarters faced Darkfire and her blade-tipped tail sliced into her newly repaired throat cables.

Lunar Song's spark squeezed with triumph when she realized that she was actually holding _both _of the seekers off, something she had never been able to do before. She never once paused in her movements, holding them off as best as she could until one of the sparklings cried, "MOM!"

She tensed then, hearing a number of roaring engines that were rushing towards them. Havoc crouched low on shaking legs, rasping, "Darkfire! We _must go!_ We can't fight _all _of them!"

Lunar Song raised her head and rolled her shoulders, staring into the huge femme's burning optics. Darkfire rumbled but moved back, opening her wings. She shoved off the earth hard enough to make it shudder. Havoc followed, soaring away.

Lunar Song watched them go, turning only when she heard the sounds of rapid transformation behind her. She glanced down when two of the sparklings rushed out from beneath her to run towards a handful of femmes and mechs, each one watching her warily. Lunar Song held her breath for a moment, then cursed herself for being so foolish. _What have I done? They'll slaughter me._

She looked down again when she felt fingers touch her chest armor, then the first of the sparklings emerged. He was bright blue, with even brighter blue optics. He gazed up at her, and Lunar Song found herself tensing as memories began to overrun her processor. She clenched her jaws shut, completely ignoring one of the mechs when he demanded to know who she was.

The sparkling reached up with his good arm, opening his hand almost expectantly. Lunar Song stared, unsure. He whispered, sounding sad and happy and relieved all at the same time, "You came back."

She blinked at him, and suddenly she was somewhere else, lost in one of the images running wild through her processor. She _knew _this sparkling, and he was important, so veryimportant. She remembered him from a very young age. She had been there the day that he was created, and the memory had her spark warming with something odd. Slowly, Lunar Song lowered her head. His optics lit up with hope, and a huge grin filled his face when she touched her nose to his palm. She flinched when he ran his fingers over her nose to stroke her snout.

She spoke without thinking, the words coming out soft, "I know you."

He blinked, shocked, "Of course you do, Sunny. It's me, Flash. I'm your brother."

_Sunny? Sundance? My...brother...Who..._Lunar Song shuttered her optics when her processor began to ache. He kept talking, "Mom and dad have been looking all over the place for you. Where the pit have you been?"

"I..." Lunar Song swallowed, hating the way how weak her voice sounded, "I don't know."

His optics widened. Lunar Song tensed when she sensed someone step forward. Her protective instincts kicked in and she lifted her head quickly to fix glaring red optics on the one who was approaching. It was a mech, painted white with green and red markings. There was some odd fins and lights on his helm. He watched her with a look of concern, and said cautiously, "...Sundance?"

_Who is Sundance? _The question had been cycling through her processor for the past few days. She knew that _she _couldn't possibly be an autobot, but it didn't make sense that all these memories she had, all of these real, loud, clear memories were her's. She was Lunar Song, creation of a decepticon seeker. She knew she was, but all she could say was, "I don't know."

They all stared at one another for a moment. She went rigid when she sensed one of the seekers returning. She turned sharply just as the autobots raised their primed weapons to aim. They ended up curling their bodies over the sparklings protectively, though, when Darkfire unleashed a blast of flames upon them. Lunar Song crouched back over 'Flash', feeling it when the fire touched and seared her armor.

"I won't leave without some sort of prize!" Darkfire hissed, sinking her hook-like claws into Lunar Song's hide to lift her. Lunar Song writhed, struggling as she was lifted from the earth and carried high into the sky. The sparkling screamed, and the autobots started firing, but soon Darkfire was out of range.

Lunar Song twisted and clawed, raking her claws down Darkfire's armor. Sparks flew but she couldn't penetrate it. "Your bravery will get you killed," Darkfire promised, "I'm going to enjoy beating you to the ground, _traitor._"

"I'm going to rip your throat out," Lunar Song hissed back, reaching up to dig her claws into the seeker's damaged throat cables. Darkfire jerked sharply, her hold loosened. Lunar Song ripped and tore until energon spilled freely unto her claws. Darkfire rasped and let her go to clench at her wounds.

Lunar Song turned in the air, unfurling her wings to catch the wind to slow her descent. She stretched her body forward to fly. Darkfire wasn't done with her yet, though, and slammed into her body. Lunar Song cried out when she felt powerful jaws closing on one of her wings, shattering it. Darkfire tensed her body then hurled Lunar Song's body through the air.

Lunar Song's spark spun rapidly in fear while she struggled to right herself, but with one wing broken, she could do nothing put spin faster. The wind was harsh against her remaining wing, and it soon buckled. She snarled, catching quick glances of Darkfire as the beast came towards her again. She felt it when the femme rammed her with her head, knocking Lunar Song senseless.

She went limp, body spiraling towards the ground. Panic seized her spark, but she couldn't get her body to respond. He processor was scrambling, struggling to catch up. Her half open optics focused on Darkfire, who was hovering, watching with a sick smile on her face as her energon rolled down her body.

"I'll kill you," Lunar Song whispered, the words coming out quiet and slurred. She half expected the seeker to swoop down and catch her so she could kill her in her jaws and watch her die, but the femme simply circled over head.

When Lunar Song hit the ground, she bounced, rolled, then bounced again. Every impact shook her to the frame, and a piece of her armor snapped and broke off. She gasped as agony filled her, so sharp she thought it'd split her in half. Then it was gone, her body suddenly going numb as she went into shock. Her optics flickered, her sight faded.

She barely felt it when Darkfire landed beside her, but could do nothing as she sank into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for it being posted later in the evening-I'm trying to get back on my 'one-a-day' update thing now that work has slowed down and I have time. I just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten about Hell Hounds or Reflections, and I do have stuff started on them for new updates, I'm just kind of trying to focus on one thing at a time so I don't burn out. <strong>

**I also wanted to say real quick that I just realized that I put "sparkling blood" instead of "sparkling energon" in the previous chapter. I really need to go back and edit some of these...**

**Anyway, tell me what you think! Much love, and a ton of thanks to my reviewers. You guys ALWAYS make my day. :)**

**Lunar Song, the trine, Sundance, her family and friends, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60**

She was falling from the sky when he saw her.

His ice-colored optics focused on her, and some part of him took note that she was different. Her armor was white and even more jagged then he remembered, and her wings were different. Her horns weren't simply curved, but were twisted in a menacing manner. They were all small details that didn't really matter to him. Swoop and Optimus had both told him earlier that she wasn't the same.

He knew it was her, deep in his hard spark. She had changed but she was still the same shape. Her head was still sleek and narrow, her tail and neck long. His spark clenched when he saw the big seeker come at her again and again, damaging her frame more with every attack. His rage flared, and his feet moved faster. He didn't understand it, but he knew he had to reach her.

Grimlock came thundering towards the pair the moment the larger of the two landed and started towards the once-red-now-white femme. His optics narrowed and he spread his massive jaws wide to roar, the angry challenge shaking the earth and reverberating through the air like a round of thunder. The standing femme stiffened and spun towards him to answer his challenge, but before she could shout back, the dinobot collided with her body.

The femme went flying through the air with a startled snarl. Grimlock stepped over his femme's frame and went after her, jaws still open as he sought out her body to crush. He would destroy her, snuff out her spark and rip off her head. The seeker hit the ground several feet away and continued to tumble a hundred or so more before she finally came to a stop. Grimlock cleared the distance in a handful of wide strides and scooped her heavy body up in his jaws. He bit down and shook her hard, whipping her body back and forth until she was screeching. He stopped just short of completely penetrating her armor and killing her, deciding that he wanted to see her suffer for what she had done. He tossed her again.

The femme struggled to get to her feet, gasping and spilling energon across the earth. Grimlock walked towards her, baring his teeth. He paused when the femme abruptly threw back her head and let out a harsh bark of laughter. She mocked, "Look at you, Grimlock! You live up to all of the stories I've heard!"

"You will pay for what you have done," Grimlock swore.

"Oh," Her laughter died to a chuckled, "has the legendary '_king' _fallen for someone? Do you care for this pretty little piece of slag?"

Grimlock kept coming at her, growling deep in his chest. She moved back with every step he made towards her. Her tone changed to a hiss, "You can have the slagging traitor! She's half dead, anyway."

"You will not escape," Grimlock snarled. He ran. She turned and shoved off the earth, pumping her wings hard to ascend. He closed in on her fast and jumped to catch her foot in his jaws. He bit down and yanked her body down, nearly putting her back in the dirt. He bellowed when a much smaller femme dove out of the sky and sliced into his face plates with her claws. He let the larger of the two go, stepping to the side and shaking his head.

When Grimlock recovered, he looked up to find them already out of his range, flying away as fast as they could. He clenched his jaws, shifting his weight as he considered going after them. He decided against it, turning with a shake of his head back to the femme left on the earth. His optics narrowed when they fell on her, seeing the damage on her frame. He was no medic, but he knew from a glance that one of her wings was broken and the other wasn't much better.

Grimlock started towards her, tilting his head down when he reached the femme to take in her scent. She still smelled the same, like flame, smoke, and ash. But there was the stink of rotting flesh on her breath, as well. He rumbled to himself, stepping over her to tuck his nose in beneath her side and partially lift her body.

Grimlock waited for her to come to life, to jerk awake and whip around to bite down on his nose. He waited for her to snarl at him, to curse him and storm off like she had done so many times before. But the femme was still. His spark clenched and he laid her back down, then stepped back to stare at her.

For the first time in his life, Grimlock was at a loss of what to do.

She was still online, he could hear the faint hum of her spark with his sharp audio receptors, but she was damaged. Optimus wanted him to bring her back to base, but Grimlock found that he didn't want to. Not yet. More than anything, he realized, he just wanted to see her optics. He wanted to see the fighting spirit that had shocked him in the first place, and he wanted to hear her voice. He wanted to hear her as she spoke of her pathetic organic 'friends' like they were the best creatures on earth. He wanted to hear her defend her family, or lecture him on 'respecting life'. He just wanted her to be the femme she was the day he met her.

He couldn't take her back until he saw it for himself. So Grimlock posted himself beside her and watched over her.

* * *

><p><strong>You asked for Grim, so you got him...It felt super awkward writing him since I've only done it like once, so I'm sorry if it sounds awkward. And it's also way too short...but I'm not home so I'm kind of distracted. <strong>

**Hope you enjoyed.**

**Lunar Song, the trine, Sundance, her family and friends, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61**

"What the _slagging __**PIT **_were you _THINKING!_"

Flashback cringed slightly at Chromia's tone. The stout femme stood with her hands on her hips and her light blue optics narrowed in one of the worst scolds he'd ever seen. She was staring at Warhammer, but Flashback had a feeling that she was really screaming at all three of them.

Elita was standing quietly to the side while Wheeljack and another mech with some medical experience poked and prodded at the sparklings, the three of them sitting on one of the berths in the med bay. Flashback was settled farther away from the others since he'd been the only one to sustain real damage, and he sat there numbly as the two did what they could for his mangled arm. Luckily, Wheeljack knew how to turn off the pain sensors in his limb so Flashback didn't feel it. Yet, even if he hadn't been able to, Flashback would have found a way to ignore it.

Chromia raised a finger to point, "You three _sparklings _could have been offlined! Do you _understand _this? We could have LOST YOU!"

Solaris tried to speak, "We didn't know-"

"Solaris," Elita interrupted, voice rough with exhaustion. He clenched his jaw and said nothing else, turning his eyes down.

Chromia kept talking, raising her voice as her anger escalated. Flashback glanced at Warhammer, who hadn't said a word or looked away from his creator since they'd been whisked back into base. Briefly, Flashback wondered if Chromia's 'lectures' had this effect on Ironhide, and if the big mech was ever scared of her like they were right now.

The femme mentioned 'seekers', spitting the word out like poison, and his processor quickly turned elsewhere.

_She was there. _Flashback clenched his hands into fists in his lap as he thought about their savior, the strange white femme that was both, Sundance and _not _Sundance. He thought about the way she had put herself over him, using her body to shield him from danger like she had always done. He thought about the way she shifted her weight from side to side to swing her long, powerful tail. The way she moved with flawless grace and lethal speed, spinning and twisting to bat off both of the seekers as they came again and again.

He lowered his optics when he felt his creators reach through to check on him for the hundredth time since the attack. He grabbed on to both of their sparks, showing them the memory of her. He showed them everything, from sneaking out of the base to speaking to her and touching her face. _'She was there,' _He told them, an urgency to his voice like he was trying to convince himself, too, _'I saw her. She was there.'_

His father's spark seemed to still while his mother reached back to hug him gently with her spark. She said, _'I know, sweetspark.'_

_ 'I talked to her,' _He continued, _'I touched her. She talked to me, but she didn't remember me. Why would she protect me if she didn't remember?'_

Jolt spoke up, also reaching through to his spark, _'Sundance's love for you is not a memory, sparkling. She has always cherished you and your brother, since the day you were created. You are a part of her spark, Flashback, buried in a place so deep no evil can touch it. She did it because she couldn't stand to leave you, because she knew she had to.'_

Demona added once he stopped talking, _'We're all inside her spark.' _She paused, then finished with conviction, _'these are the parts in her that survived, and these are the parts that will save her and bring her back to us.'_

_ 'How do you know?' _Flashback whispered, _'how do you know she'll come back?'_

_ 'No true decepticon would risk their life to protect a sparkling,' _She answered, _'but she did. She hasn't lost herself completely, not yet.'_

Flashback tilted his head to look up when Chromia's voice fell quiet with a rough vent. Elita spoke up next, "Whose idea was it?"

All three sparklings looked at one another. Flashback stared into their optics, and realized that both of them were willing to take the blame this time. He didn't know why, usually one or the other ratted out on him over things like this, but he was grateful. Flashback gave them a small, weak smile, before raising his eyes to the femme. Solaris started to speak but Flashback cut in, "It was mine."

All of the adults focused on him, and suddenly he felt like some type of criminal. He said, making himself meet their gazes, "Mom and dad are coming home. I...I wanted to be the first one there to see them in case they had Sundance."

They stiffened, like speaking her name was some kind of sin. He kept going though, even though it made him mad as hell that they acted that way about _his _big sister. "They caught me trying to sneak out, and I talked them into going with me."

"Flashback," Elita said, stepping closer, "...why couldn't you wait inside where it was safe?"

"I miss her." Flashback admitted, the words coming out in a jumbled rush that made him sound weak and sad, "I miss her voice. And I miss her laugh. And her wings and that stupid thing she does where she sits down and crosses her arms like a human. I miss all of her. I just..."

He looked down, "I just wanted to see her."

"...That's no reason to thoughtlessly walk out into the open!" Chromia said sharply, "Primus, Flashback!"

He tightened his jaw, grinding his dentals as his spark curled with more anger. He hissed, "What do you know?"

Solaris and Warhammer went rigid across from him while the femmes and mechs leaned back in their surprise.

He repeated, almost snarling now, "What the _hell _do you know about it?!" He looked up at her slowly, optics narrowed and bright with his rage, "when was the last time _your _big sister got hunted down by a bunch of stupid humans? When was the last time your big sister was cut open and experimented on until she was practically dead? When was _the last time _your big sister was taken by _fragging seekers _and turned her into a fragging '_con_!"

He stood up shakily to glare at all of them, "When was the last time you stayed up _all night _wondering if you'd ever see her again! When was the last time you reached and pulled for her spark, hoping to Primus that she would pull back, and felt NOTHING! When was the LAST TIME you wondered if your _friends _would have to _kill her _if she couldn't be changed! Is THAT being THOUGHTLESS?!"

The med bay filled with a heavy silence when he stopped. He was looking down at his feet again, optics wide, when his father reached for his spark again. He didn't scold or reprimand him. He was simply there, and it was all Flashback wanted at the moment.

With a sharp vent, Flashback turned and stormed away from them, crouching down on the edge of the berth then using his good arm to climb and slide his way down. He walked right out of the med bay, and was gone before anyone could react.

* * *

><p>"What happened?" Ash asked quietly, peeking at her uncle Pockets as he walked back into the infirmary. The big red head was shaking his head, green eyes narrowed.<p>

Rex looked up with tired brown eyes and turned slightly to look at him. She was safely crammed between him and her mother, who was finally asleep after hours of scolding her and freaking out. Although she was exhausted, mentally and physically, and she hurt like hell, Ash had felt better when they'd blocked her in like that. She couldn't move and she could barely breathe, but it was the first time in a long time that she had both of them so close to her. She wasn't about to throw it away.

"Decepticons." Pockets answered, raising his eyes to them. The reaction was immediate. Rex was halfway off the bed while Gears went rigid and the other survivors nearly went into a panic. He raised his hands in a peaceful gesture, "Don't worry, the autobots scared them off before they could attack base."

"What the hell were they doing here?" Gears rasped.

"They attacked the sparklings."

She held her breath, a look of fear taking over her face. Ash's heart pounded in her chest. Rex demanded, "What the _fuck?!_ Well? What happened!"

"Red Alert said that all three of them are fine. Flash got beat up a little bit, but it's nothing serious."

"Nothing serious my red wrinkled _ass!_" Gears snapped, "those bitches think they can hurt my grandbaby?! Someone get me some barbed wire and a two-by-four and _take me out there_!"

Pockets smiled at her and walked towards her. She reached out like she knew he was coming, and he took her hand in his, promising, "It's alright, mom."

She didn't look convinced, but said nothing else. Ash turned while she had the room too, letting her head fall back on her pillow with a huff. She stared up at the ceiling, brain slowly turning elsewhere. Was Sundance one of the decepticons that had attacked them? _No, of course not. _The big ass flame-thrower would die before she ever hurt one of her own family.

A little traitorous voice in her head whispered, _'She didn't have a problem trying to hurt you.'_

"God." Ash muttered, "Keep your shit-faced opinion to yourself, thank you."

"What?" Rex said, turning to look at her with raised eyebrows. She met his eyes, ignoring his question and confused expression.

Instead, she asked, "Dad, if you believe in someone, how do you know that they'll come back?"

The exhausted, empty look he'd worn earlier that day came back, when he'd told her about 'the secret'. His eyes shifted from her to a space behind her, and Ash turned her head to look at her mother's face. The woman was still out cold, hardly phased by all the talking around her. Her eyes softened when she saw him reach over her to brush Shark's black hair from her face.

"You don't," Rex answered.

"Then why do you try?"

"Because you remember the way they used to smile and talk to you," He answered quietly, "and you miss it so much you can't stop thinking about it."

Ash's stomach twisted. Her throat seemed to harden, swelling with pain and tears. She had to bite her tongue to keep from bawling again. She met his eyes again, leaning back into her pillow when he lifted his hand from Shark's face to straighten her hair. They both looked up when Pockets asked, sounding curious, "Has that little girl done _anything_?"

Ash blinked and followed his gaze to fix on the tiny little dark-haired girl that was curled up on Critter's chest with one fist balled in his shirt. Her little face was turned into his neck, and as they looked, she shifted a leg to stretch out, bare toes curling, and Critter lifted an arm to wrap over her protectively. Ash smiled softly at them. She remembered spotting them, the first relief or joy she'd felt in weeks. The little brat had somehow survived, and she had managed to find her way back to Critter.

"No," Rex said, grinning, "it's like she's his new growth or something."

"I wish I could see it," Gears whispered, "what does she look like, Alec?"

"She's _tiny," _Pockets said, crossing his arms, "she can't be too much older than Rose. She's got dark hair, mom, light skin. She hasn't hardly moved since they brought her in."

"She's still with Alex?"

"...Yeah."

"She didn't want to leave him," Ash said, drawing all of their attention. She didn't look away from the child, though, eyes narrowing as she remembered the hell they'd lived through. "All I know is that he picked her up before someone could eat her, and he carried her until his legs went out. He tried to get her to run, but she wouldn't do it. Hell, I had to _pull _her off of him to hide her."

"So he's probably her hero then, huh?" Rex started, pushing a hand through his hair, "what about her parents?"

"They died."

"Damn." Rex winced, "no wonder she's so afraid to leave him."

An odd quiet fell over them, and they all kind of went back to doing their own thing. After a few minutes, a head poked into the room and a small voice called, "Mimi?"

Ash turned her head, eyes widening when she saw Flashback standing awkwardly in the doorway, one hand raised to wrap around a damaged arm. Gears leaned forward and answered, "Hi, baby!"

He ran inside, scrambling up into the bed she was sitting on to nestle beside her. Gears smiled when he turned his face into her neck, lifting his one good arm to grab a handful of her shirt like he used to do when he was still tiny. He was easily as tall as, if not taller, than Gears now, but she still put her arms around him and stroked her gnarled fingers over his helm.

Ash raised an eyebrow when the other survivors in their room nearly died on the spot, eyes bulging and bodies leaning so far back from them that she thought they'd fall off the edge of their beds. Gears cooed, "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Okay," He said, "I miss Sundance."

Ash clenched her jaw. Gears' smile turned sad, "I do, too, baby."

"I want her to come home. I want everyone to come home." He continued, voice strained, "I want my family back."

"Oh, Flash, there's a lot of things I still don't know, but one thing I do..." Gears coaxed him closer, offering comfort like only a grandmother could, "this family always comes back together, no matter what."

* * *

><p><strong>I really loved Jolt's part in this update for some reason...and Flashback's shift from a mature, older, angrier attitude back to a young sparkling. Fun. Anyway, sorry it's late, I was out of town today so I didn't have time to start working on this chapter until like after dark. OOPS.<strong>

**Anyway, love you guys. Tell me what you think. **

**Sundance and her family and friends, Lunar Song and the trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62**

She was lost.

It was dark, and cold, and she hurt like she'd been kicked around by a dinobot, and she knew that something somewhere was wrong. Something about _her _was wrong, though she didn't know what. It was silent there, and the deep, heavy quiet was honestly frightening to her. She wondered, _Am I offline? Is this what death is?_

_ "Do you remember the fire?"_

She jumped slightly, alarm coursing through her as she snapped her head up and squinted into the darkness in an attempt to see who had spoken. The voice, undeniably female, was soft like she was in deep thought or recalling a memory, _"I thought you'd left me there, and I was trying to find you...then you just came flying out of the flames like some mystical badass."_

She went rigid, defense routines starting when she realized she could neither see nor smell the stranger. She called out, voice tense with warning, "Who are you?!"

_"...You never left my side that night."_ The character trailed off.

She straightened and unfurled her wings, baring her teeth to attack if the speaker came closer. But when she spoke, she sounded far away, _"I had been so scared, but you were so fucking brave and strong...Sunny..."_

A chill ran through her, and the snarl left her face.

_"Thanks, Sunny."_

She lunged forward a step, shouting, "Who are you!" She froze then shrank back quickly when others began to speak, all different voices in varying tones.

_"Sparkling, there is more to war than 'heroism' and 'victory'. Battle is not full of glory. Yes, we save lives, but we lose them, too."_

_"What's your designation, little one?"_

_"She's right, youngling. As soon as you feel the wind beneath your wings..."_

_"We'll catch you if you fall, Sundance, I promise."_

She took another step back, beginning to tremble as the words kept coming, from all directions.

_"Fly, youngling! Sundance!"_

_ "You're...You're Sundance! The sparkling that took on Galvatron!"_

_ "Sundance saved us! She came out of the ground and chased them away...she even blew up their truck! It was awesome!"_

The femme staggered, raising her claws to her helm as her processor filled with pressure. She clenched her jaws and ground her dentals, feeling her head and spark steadily fill with the voices. It was too much, there was so many that it was beginning to hurt her. She cried, "Stop!"

_"Primus, 'Dance! You got HUGE!"_

_ "Because you love me! 'Dance! PLEASE? How can you say 'no' to this face?"_

_ "Since you're making me do this, you should tell me a story. You never told me about your battle with Galvatron. Everything I've heard is from Solaris-he can't shut up about you."_

_ "You knew her, didn't you? What was she like, 'Dance?"_

_ 'Do YOU yield?"_

She screamed, pulling at her horns so hard she bruised her helm. She was close to bursting with it all. "STOP!" She roared and yelled, unable to hold it inside anymore. Agony tore through her in waves, leaving her exhausted and broken. She shook violently as she sank down, letting herself cave on the floor with her optics shut tight. Wonderful, blissful silence filled the room after her outburst. She lifted her lip plates, rasping, "Primus, no more. Please, stop."

She sank into the quiet for a moment, the only sounding being the frantic thrum of her spark and her labored breathing. It lasted for a short while, then started again.

_"Hello, little one."_

She tensed, holding her breath as her spark seemed to slam to a stop. The voice was soft, kind of rough but still lovely, and it was one she had never heard before. She loosened her claws around her face. She onlined her optics and nearly glitched when she actually saw someone.

The femme was approaching her with slow, even steps that simply screamed predator. Her armor was sharp and angled, bone-white. Her optics were bright red, and seemed cold and hard for a moment before shifting to a softer expression. The femme knelt before her, meeting her gaze.

_I know you. _She thought, slowly raising her head. She just barely knew the femme, but she knew she was important. Her spark squeezed sharply, and she whispered, "Who are you?"

_"I am Paradox."_

_Primus, she's beautiful. _She uncurled her claws and said, "How do I know you?"

She didn't answer, asking her own question instead, _"Who are your creators, Sundance?"_

Her optics widened. She said quickly, "Bloodstar is my creator."

_"Demona? I didn't know she had a sparkling..."_

All at once, everything hit her. She fell to the ground again as something tore wide open inside of her. Her wide optics were fixed on the femme, but instead all she saw was flashes and memories of a red femme, one she recognized. _No. I fought her. She was attacking Bloodstar! She is NOT my creator!_

She clawed at the ground, slamming her head against it when the pain seemed to gather in her processor. She whispered, voice hysterical, "You LIE! She is not-"

_"You're a wise one, aren't you? Speaking words of faith and peace and hope, just like your creator."_

"NO!" She fought it, "Liar!"

But the femme was already standing back up. _"I must go." _

She stilled, the pain and pressure in her processor overwhelmed by a sudden sense of dread that filled her spark and energon like poison. Something bad was going to happen, she knew it. Something was going to happen to the femme. She scrambled, "Wait!"

_"I'll come back." _The femme turned and took a couple of steps, transforming in a rapid shift of pale alloys.

She jumped to her feet, tripping over them as she rushed towards her, "Wait! Don't! You-"

But the femme was already racing away, folded down into a sleek alternate that was quickly vanishing. She couldn't let her go though, she knew that she had to stop her, to bring her back, so she ran after her. As she ran, she seemed to lose all sense of reason. Light filled her world, and suddenly gravity pulled hard at her like it was trying to keep her pinned to the ground. She struggled, clawing herself back up even as a different pain filled her armor from wounds and loose dirt slid beneath her claws.

She woke in a panic, forcing herself to her feet and running. She shoved past some mech, just barely alert enough to register him. She ignored his startled grunt, limping her way up an incline until she reached the top where she stopped.

Her wide optics scanned the horizon, but the white femme was gone. Instead of climbing down to search more, she was drawn to the sky. She held her breath as the first rays of sun broke through the darkness, bright streaks of neons burning across the clouds like flames. Unbidden, Jetfire's words echoed in her processor, soft and full of love.

_"I once knew a youngling that loved the skies with her entire spark. Since the day of her creation, she longed to fly. The winds and the sun was in her spark...She was a fearless flier, the fastest in her faction."_

Her optics grew wider, and suddenly, the mess of memories became crystal clear, each one falling into place as realization burned through her like liquid fire. She was barely aware when the mech there came to stand beside her on the hilltop. She could feel his optics on her, but she said nothing, now pulling at the memories rather than pushing them away.

_"An enemy can take your limbs, he can still your strength and threaten your comrades, but there is one thing he is powerless against. Do you know what that one thing is? Hope. Don't you see? The sun, the wind, the clouds, the SKY, it's all inside YOU! THIS is your hope, your greatest power. As long as your spark soars with it, you will be stronger than your enemies."_

And for the first time in days, the voices and the memories quieted. The pain went away, leaving only the ache of wounds. She whispered, voice quaking, "I am Sundance. I...am Sundance."

Then, suddenly, she remembered the faces of all the humans she'd slaughtered in her hunt as Lunar Song, all the innocent lives she'd taken. The way how she had went against Demona, the way how she had turned on her entire faction and torn Jetfire from the sky. She had _watched _them rip him to shreds and feast on his body. Her spark shattered, and she breathed, "What have I done?"

* * *

><p><strong>...Well, there it is. <strong>

**EEEK! Paradox!**

**Sundance and her family and friends, Lunar Song and the trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63**

Grimlock watched her with narrowed optics as she stared at the rising sun, a tortured look on her face as she whispered, "What have I done?"

Grimlock was quiet, unsure of what to say or do. He simply stood there, waiting for her old fire to come back. But she wouldn't move. She kept staring, lost in her thoughts as the sky filled with light. He shifted his weight, half way expecting her to hear it and turn around quickly to face him like she usually did when he was nearby. She was frozen there, though, and as the minutes stretched into hours, he began to realize that the femme was broken.

The thought hardened his spark. He started towards her, heavy footsteps rattling the earth. He said, voice toneless, "Femme."

His approach seemed to pull her from her trance, and she slowly turned her head to fix her gaze on him. He stopped mid-step when he saw the pain in her optics, sharp and shining like a knife. It was a look he had only seen once or twice before, and though he hardly cared for the mechs that had worn it before, shock squeezed his spark like a cold hand. He set his foot on the ground.

She turned away from him, stumbling down the hill. Grimlock watched her, unable to look away, as she stopped at the bottom. She lowered her head, allowing her tail to drag on the earth. Her broken wings were draped over her sides to lay in the dirt, bent at odd angles. She began to tremble. It escalated to a harsh shake that made her armor clank loudly.

He took a step down, head tilted down towards her. His optics widened when she abruptly broadened her stance and leaned to the side, slamming her horned head down on the earth. He felt the impact through his feet and one of her horns snapped off with a sharp 'crack' that echoed through the air like a shot. She kept moving, lifting her head and shifting to the other side to smack her skull on the ground again. Her remaining horn cracked, but remained attached to her head.

Then the femme threw back her bleeding head and screamed. The spark-wrenching cry made his energon run cold and his spark clench, and it ripped through the early morning quiet. She pushed off with her front legs and leaned back on her haunches to curl her claws around her chest armor. When she tore the first plate off, Grimlock moved.

He was down the hill and beside her in a few rushed strides. He paused for just a moment as she raised her hands to her head and tore deep gouges in her helm. Her cry rose to a screech. Grimlock suddenly crouched low and dropped his head to curl his neck over her chest. He said, "No more."

"Get _away from me!"_ She shouted, staggering back. Grimlock followed, lifting his head to drape over her shoulder.

He repeated, "No more." His tone changed, lowering, "This is not the way."

She didn't pull away this time, and he couldn't quite understand the relief he felt when she pulled her claws away from her armor. She said, sounding completely lost, "How do you know what the way is?"

Grimlock raised his head enough to touch his nose to her shoulder, taking in her scent. He released he breathe he didn't know he'd been holding when she sank down. She continued, "You're just a soldier. You don't know anything about this."

"I know that you are stronger than this." He said simply, moving his feet before he settled beside her.

She laughed humorlessly, the energon running down from her self-inflicted wounds gleamed on her fangs. "Yes, I'm _so fragging strong._ I attacked my mother and killed the humans our faction is sworn to protect." She hissed out through her teeth, "I helped destroy Jetfire."

"She was not you."

She tensed. Grimlock stared steadily at her. Some part of him wondered just what the pit he was saying, but his emotions beat down his thoughts. He still didn't understand it, how a mere femme could pull this nonsense from him. When she moved her head just enough to eye him, he said, "You did not do those things."

"Do you even know what you're saying?"

"No." He admitted. For a moment, surprise filled her optics, covering her pain for a second before it faded. He found himself hating the decepticons who did this to her even more when she turned away from him.

"Primus, why did this happen?" She slowly lowered her head, voice softening until he could barely hear her, "I destroyed everything."

He growled deep in his chest, "No, you did not."

No answer reached him, and he leaned closer to look at her mangled face plates. Her optics had offlined, and he realized that she had slipped into recharge. He raised his head and watched her as she rested, trying to comprehend what he was feeling in his spark. As the morning faded to the afternoon, he himself grew tired. Never one to argue with his instincts, he laid his head down beside her, nose close to her long neck.

He roused some time later when the clank of armor pulled him from recharge. The first thing he noticed was that she was not at his side. Panic seized him and he quickly raised his head to scan sharp pale optics over the horizon until he saw her, no more than forty or fifty away. She had her back turned to him, head and tail low.

Grimlock studied her for a moment to make sure she hadn't damaged herself any further before getting to his feet and walking towards her.

The femme was digging, one set of claws pulling back dirt. He tensed when he saw that her pale armor was streaked with a sick mixture of energon, stomach fluids, and human blood. The thick splatters and trails originated from her parted jaws. He followed the fluid as it ran down her jaw and dripped down, and clenched his jaw at what he saw.

A mound of human bodies, broken and soaked in digestive fluid and energon. He went cold, understanding striking him like a blow to the head. She had forced her body to reject the humans, she had forced herself to vomit them.

"I couldn't stand it," She whispered. Grimlock raised his eyes to her face. The pain was gone from her optics, replaced by a emptiness. He noticed that she was thinner than she had been, and that she was still trembling. She drug her claws across the bottom of the hole she was making, "I couldn't leave them..." She shuddered, _"inside._"

"What are you doing," Grimlock said.

"Burying them."

"You need the nourishment," He said, tone hardening, "you are too weak to be doing things like this."

She snapped a glare at him, optics heating with fire. She snarled, "Back the hell off."

Grimlock stepped closer, "No."

"If you don't let me do this, I _swear _to Primus that I will hurt you."

Grimlock grinned, "You can't hurt me."

She snarled, turning her optics back to her digging. She was moving slow, like she had no energy. After the fifth or sixth time she scooped out more dirt, Grimlock promptly sidled up to her and bumped her over. She hit the ground, glaring at him as he took her place. He placed his foot in the hole and raked his toe claws over it, making the hole much deeper.

"What the pit are you doing?!"

"Helping." He grunted, "you should be saving your strength, Sundance."

He saw her go rigid. Her optics slightly widened, and she stilled. Grimlock ignored it, working on the grave until it was deep enough to swallow his calf. He stepped back, then looked at her expectantly. The femme was staring at him, and when he twitched his lip plates, she stated, "You said my name."

He paused, tilting his head slightly as he thought about it. "What about it."

"You never say my name."

He rumbled, turning back to the bodies, "Think nothing of it."

She pulled herself back up and sat down, taking the humans one by one and laying them inside the grave. He watched her as she curled her claws around each one like they all meant something to her. He didn't understand why she spent so much time on them. They were dead. It wasn't going to hurt them if they just shoved all of them in there at once.

When the femme was finally finished, she pushed the loose dirt back over them and packed it down with a few weak slaps of her tail.

"This was not your fault," Grimlock said suddenly, the words coming from no where, "you know this."

She said nothing, optics turned down at the fresh grave.

"You had no control, you can not blame yourself for it."

"Why are you trying to help me?" She asked, looking up at him with narrowed optics, "when has anyone ever mattered to Grimlock outside of himself and his soldiers?"

Grimlock spoke without thought, as he had come to do around the femme, "You asked me to treat you as an equal, that's what I'm doing. I help because you matter, because you are a fellow warrior and a...friend."

She stared at him, wearing the same expression she had when he'd said her name. He stepped closer to her, getting in her face. He grinned when she bristled at the invasion of personal space, "You took on Galvatron. A few seekers took you apart and attacked your humans and your family. They broke you down and threatened everything that matters to you." He paused, then lowered his voice and challenged, "What are you going to do about it?"

Her expression hardened, stained lip plates pulling back in a cruel snarl that made his spark swell with pride. She said, "I'm going to hunt them down, and kill them all."

Grimlock's grin grew.

* * *

><p><strong>ALSKJDFJSABHALAKSFHALKASKDF<strong>

**Yeah. Pretty much. Look out for an ass-kicking update in the future that totally kicks ass (By 'kick ass', I mean Sundance doing the 'ass-kicking'.)**

**Sundance and her family and friends, the trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64**

Darkfire snarled, baring her teeth as she pulled herself back to her feet. Her body was sore, her sides ached from where the beast's jaws had squeezed. She shuttered her optics and saw the legendary Grimlock charging towards her with optics full of cold fire and his huge jaws open wide. His roar had shook her to the very core of her frame, and for the first time in her life, she had been afraid.

She _still _was on some level. They hadn't been able to put much distance between themselves and the autobots, and the dinobot king could probably hunt them down and crush them at any time. She had wanted to push on, but she was in pain and she needed to take a break. He had managed to wound her like no other had, and she was feeling it.

Darkfire hated it.

Havoc, however, was having a good time with it all. She smirked, "I've never seen you like this before, Darkfire. I thought you feared no one."

"Shut up!" Darkfire ordered, swinging her head around to glare at her, "if he had bitten _you_, you wouldn't even be here now."

She scoffed, turning away from her, "I wouldn't have let him bite me in the first place. You're too slow."

"He's too fast," Darkfire corrected, "for such a huge fragging mech, he can really move."

"Why was he defending Lunar?" Havoc questioned, tilting her head down to look at her toe claws.

"Maybe she was his plaything when she was an autobot," Darkfire muttered, shifting her feet. She bit down a wince when her body protested the movement, "Primus, that slagging beast nearly had me."

"Grimlock's processor is hardwired for battle, not sparking," Havoc argued, lowering her head to pick at the dried shreds of human flesh and blood between her claws. She had neglected it for too long, and now her feet had begun to stink. "She's not his mate."

"Starscream was hardwired for trickery and deceit, but he still sparked _with you. _What difference does it make? I've never known a mech that was strong enough to turn down a willing femme."

Havoc's head shot up and she snarled at her larger sister. Darkfire paused, then grinned wickedly at her, "Oh, I'm sorry, _sister._ Did I cross some sort of line?"

"I should have left you there in Grimlock's jaws," Havoc hissed, lifting her wings slightly in defense. Darkfire snorted.

The big femme let the quiet sink in for a moment or two before stating, "Bloodstar has been taken to the autobot base."

"I thought you wanted to leave her," Havoc said tensely, still seething from her sister's comment on her relationship with Starscream, "that she was 'strong enough to take care of herself'."

"She is," Darkfire slowly settled, leaning to one side a little to take some pressure off her wounds.

"Then what are you getting at."

"In what story has Grimlock ever truly let his prey go?" Darkfire said, "that blasted beast will follow us all the way to the pit."

"I guess you're just doomed then," Havoc turned her back to Darkfire and continued to clean her toes.

"We need her."

Havoc paused again, then sighed. "You want to break into a heavily guarded area full of autobot soldiers?"

"We've done it before."

"Yes, several times, but we could only do it as a functional trine, not a pair. And lets not forget that Grimlock tossed you around like a chew toy. You're strong, Darkfire, but even you have to succumb to your injuries."

Darkfire rumbled, "Fine. We'll rest for a day."

Havoc flicked her tail, adding, "And pray that the femme holds Grimlock's attention long enough for us to regroup."

* * *

><p>Jolt stood silently outside the hangars, blue optics turned towards the horizon. His processor was exhausted, but his spark kept him alert with his fear and anger. He'd been trying to understand for those few minutes he'd had to himself, trying to understand why this was all happening.<p>

Jetfire was as stable as a half-eaten mech could get, and was currently under Ratchet's watch. They'd stayed up for a full night and half a day working on the Seeker, along with Demona's and Wheeljack's help. And though he knew that, by autobot code, his duty as a medical officer came before anything else, he couldn't help but hate the fact that he was still there.

Demona did, too. He could feel it every second through the bond, the way how her spark grew tighter with emotion every minute not spent searching. Their sparkling was out there somewhere. She was running with decepticons, her mind and body no longer her own. And it crushed him, not being able to just reach through the strained bond and touch her, even if for only a moment. He felt Sundance's absence like a knife in his chest.

Though he believed in nothing so much as he did in his family, there was still that doubt. What if they couldn't save her? What if she was lost, never to return?

He shuttered his optics and raised a hand to press to his helm as his processor ached. _Don't go down that path, _He told himself, _don't think about it._

He forced himself to focus on what bonds he could reach. His mate was standing outside the human infirmary, speaking quietly to her human family. Backlash was curled in her palm, pressed to her chest plates as he recharged fitfully. He hadn't had a good nap since Sundance went missing. Flashback was back in the med bay, fighting recharge as pain killers and cleansing solutions worked through his systems. Jolt had pieced his arm back together an hour ago, and the entire time he had been tending to his son, he had only grown angrier.

He wanted to kill them. He wanted to rip their armor from their bodies and plunge his hand into their sparks, and squeeze them until they snuffed out in his fist. He wanted to watch the light leave their optics, he wanted them to suffer every ounce of pain they had put his family through. Jolt had never wanted to hunt a decepticon so badly before, and it frightened him on some level.

He knew that Demona wanted to have her way with the decepticon seekers, too, and had made it a point to be there when they threw Bloodstar in her cell below base. The seeker had recovered from her stasis by then, and she had only laughed at Demona, bragging about how perfect _her _sparkling was. Demona had nearly ran straight through the cell bars to strangle her, but Optimus had also been present, and had clamped a hand down on her shoulder.

Jolt had to leave the med bay and rush down before she turned her rage on Optimus instead, and had carefully coaxed her away before she went crazy on him.

Footsteps echoed behind him, but he didn't care to turn around and look. A voice called, "The las' time I saw a mech look like _that, _Cybertron was burnin'."

Jolt vented softly, lowering his hand. When he didn't say anything in response, his visitor simply came to stand beside him. The smaller mech waited a minute, before trying again, "'Hide's been locked up in his shop. He won't even talk ta Chromia."

"He misses her." Jolt said quietly, finally speaking.

"...We all do, mech."

Jolt glanced at the silver mech beside him. Jazz was still wearing the dust on his armor from the attack on Springtown, and though he hadn't suffered any injuries, he looked as worn as Jolt felt. His usually bright optics seemed dim, and there was a frown on his face. "We were all proud of her," Jazz started again, meeting Jolt's gaze, "she's a good kid, Jolt. I remember the first time she jumped 'Hide, one of the best moments of my life. The look on that hard-aft's face...priceless."

Jolt smiled faintly, "She'd always come back in after a attack and sit down and plan a new strategy."

Jazz abruptly grinned, "I believe it. She was always tryin' something new." He paused, and his expression softened, "Jolt, I wanted to tell ya...you and Dem are great creators. Sundance is an awesome little femme, and your boys are gonna grow up to be somethin' great, too. Don't blame yourselves for what happened, it's not your fault."

"Before we had Flash," Jolt started slowly, looking away to face the horizon again. His optics filled with pain, "Demona was afraid that we wouldn't be able to protect our sparklings if something happened. She hadn't had a choice with Sundance, but she didn't want to bring anyone else into it. The only way I could convince her was by promising that we would always be there for them. We failed."

"You can't guard 'em forever," Jazz said, "you wish you could, but you can't."

"I don't know if we can save her." Jolt said honestly, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop him, "she's so far away...I can't even feel her anymore."

The smaller mech lifted a hand to rest on his shoulder, but didn't know what to say. After an awkward moment of silence, he said, "Don't think about it so much, Jolt. She'll come back. The femmes in your life have a habit of droppin' off the face of the planet and climbin' their way back up again."

Jolt said nothing. Jazz left him alone, walking back into base.

* * *

><p>The sky was red like the blood caked on her broken armor. Her crimson optics studied the clouds as the color bled through the sky, bleeding down to the horizon as the world began to grow dark with night.<p>

She stood on the hill top, horned head raised and pointed ahead. The air was still and heavy around her, seeming to press down on her. Her spark twisted and burned wildly in her chest, shining with all that she felt. Her processor ached, but it was nothing like the pain she'd felt before, when she'd been lost. Her tanks rumbled, angry and empty from her hurling the humans back up to bury them. She could feel the exhaustion of hunger in her frame, but she shoved it all aside.

Sundance shuttered her optics, holding her breath as the memories flooded her processor. So many humans, running and screaming for their lives. She had hunted them, picking them off the ground one by one greedily, feeling the thrill of a good feed coursing through her. She had simply lived for it, enjoying every moment of it. She could feel it as her belly slowly filled with the bodies, and she remembered thinking, '_It's not energon, but it's good.' _The taste of hot human blood on her tongue, the squirm of their bodies as her teeth sank into them. Desperate, heart-wrenching cries that sounded more animal than human as they filled the air. The smell of death and ash filling her nose.

The ground shuddered, and she opened her optics again as Grimlock climbed the incline in a few easy steps. He stood at her shoulder, hulking body leaning forward as he studied the sky. She watched as the sun sank lower and lower, processor turning elsewhere, to memories that nearly made her spark cave with agony.

_He tried to reach me. _A flash of old black armor, a shaking hand that reached out to her and opened expectantly, waiting for her. A brief glimpse of fading red optics that stared into her's, refusing to let her go even though she had been the one to help bring him down to earth. The way he slowly faded before her, how she watched him offline without knowing what she had done. His words, the way how he'd given up and fell slack in the dirt and energon. His body growing still. His optics darkening. _I did this._

His body shook then, in her memory, and a massive femme stepped off of his chest to fill her vision. Sundance fixated on her immediately, and an overwhelming, screaming rage consumed her. _You did this._

Sundance broadened her stance and shook her whole body, activating a set of routines that jettisoned her wings. The useless, ugly limbs hit the ground and slid down the hill a few feet. She dropped down further then shoved off of the earth in the biggest leap she'd made since she was a sparkling. She let instinct take over, plates of her white armor spinning rapidly as she plunged nose-down towards the ground.

Her body drilled into the earth, and she sped off, staying close enough to the surface that Grimlock could see the dirt and gravel flying around her frame. She felt the ground shift and shudder as the huge mech rushed after her.

Sundance followed her spark, somehow knowing exactly where they would be. She tunneled on deep into the night, thoughts split between her revenge and her short time as Lunar Song. She sank into her anger like it was a pair of arms embracing her, and let it propel her. She passed Grimlock, crossing right beneath his feet to change directions.

Her processor seemed to stop working as she tunneled deeper before pulling back up. She shot out of the ground like a demon rising out of hell, twisting her white body to fix gleaming red optics on the first of the two recharging seekers.

The small one named Havoc sprung to her feet quickly, a look of sharp fear and surprise on her face plates. She turned on a leg and unfurled her wings to fly, but Sundance was upon her before she could get one foot off the ground. Havoc landed right into Sundance's open jaws. Sundance bit down and swung her hard, the monstrous rage inside of her relishing the scream that left her prey.

* * *

><p><strong>And so it begins...<strong>

**Sundance and her family, friends, the trine, Lunar Song, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65**

Darkfire woke with a start, feeling the fangs that were sinking into her trine sister like they were penetrating her own armor. She got to her feet in one quick heave, turning around heavily to fix burning optics on their attacker. Her optics widened, and shock filled her when she saw none other than Lunar Song, mouth closed around Havoc tight as she shook her like a dog would a toy. At first, all Darkfire could do was stare as she tried to take it all in. The sudden agony filling Havoc's end of their trine-bond, the energon that was beginning to spill to the ground from her wounds, the attacker herself, and the hulking frame of Grimlock looming close behind with optics full of pride. She stood frozen, unable to believe what she was seeing until Havoc's spark wrenching cry cracked through the air, _"DARKFIRE!"_

Darkfire roared, barreling forward. The ground shook beneath her and she spread her jaws to crush the life out of Lunar Song's body. Grimlock shifted moving to the side to go around the white femme and meet her, but Lunar Song had already turned, pivoting sharply to bat Darkfire in the face with her spaded tail. The energon blades cut across Darkfire's face, slicing through her face plates and making her skull burn with pain.

Darkfire retreated a step, shaking her head to try to clear it. When she turned back to them, Lunar Song was slamming Havoc's body into the ground, whipping her head from side to side until the smaller femme's agonized, frightened screams died down to pitiful moans. Grimlock was stepping around Lunar Song until his body filled her sight, and before Darkfire could move to defend herself, he sent her rolling across the dirt with a head butt. The impact bashed in her side armor and made her dizzy, but she got her feet beneath her and pivoted to face him.

But Darkfire couldn't focus on him. Her optics slid past him to stare at Lunar Song. The femme had stopped moving, and was staring straight back at her with a wicked glint in her optics. Darkfire's gaze drifted down to focus on Havoc, who was completely limp in her jaws. The massive femme went rigid, optics wide.

Havoc wasn't making so much as a sound. Darkfire, who had stretched their sister bonds so many times over their long existence, now nearly yanked at her spark. She couldn't feel anything anymore. The pain, the fear, was shut out so suddenly it nearly put her spark into shock. She couldn't feel Havoc.

Lunar Song dropped the smaller femme, who crumpled in the dirt at her feet. The human blood that had been caked on her jaws was running off, being cleaned away by Havoc's energon as it poured down her chin. "Don't worry, Darkfire," Lunar Song said softly, "she's still online."

Darkfire bristled. She started forward but Grimlock ducked his head and flipped her body over with one shove, dropping the heavy femme on her side. Darkfire squirmed, trying to roll so she could get up and kill the fragging femme, but the dinobot pinned her down. Grimlock placed one huge foot on her stomach and leaned on it, crushing the plates of armor there into her frame.

Darkfire gasped, she clawed at the ground, focusing on Lunar Song again. She rasped, "_You._"

Lunar Song shifted her weight to sit on her haunches, "You should have known that this was coming."

"You...hurt her," Darkfire snarled, "I'll slaughter you, traitor!"

Lunar Song stood up again, tilting her head down to slip her teeth beneath the edges of Havoc's helm. She lifted the smaller femme like a lioness would her prey, and tossed her. Darkfire jumped slightly when Havoc landed before her, just out of reach. Darkfire fixed on her and stared.

"'Do you know what we seekers do when we find a happy little family of bots'?" Lunar Song said softly, walking towards them.

Darkfire went rigid. She struggled, ignoring the way how Grimlock put more weight on her and cut deeper into her armor with his toe claws, "I'll kill you! I'LL EAT YOU ALIVE!"

"I'm going to make you watch her die," Sundance promised, "for all of the families you destroyed, for all of the sparklings you murdered." She paused, optics shifting down to Havoc. Darkfire hesitated before following.

Havoc was moving, shifting slowly. She uncurled just enough to look at Darkfire, optics dim and empty. Her jaws hung open, a puddle of her own energon rapidly growing beneath her. She breathed, so quietly that Darkfire had to strain to hear it, _"Sister...help...me..."_

"Havoc," Darkfire clenched her jaws. She reached her claws towards her. Her spark clenched in her chest when she realized that Havoc was too far for her to touch. Suddenly, memories filled her processor. Havoc had always been the smallest, the most fragile. As sparklings, their creators had abandoned them, and Havoc had suffered the worst for it. Darkfire remembered saving her several times, back before they became the most deadly trine in existence. Once they had grown strong, they had left such memories behind them, to keep from making them look weak.

Now, Darkfire wanted nothing more than to rest beside her sister, to be there. Everything else was forgotten the moment she felt the small tug on her spark from Havoc, and it took all of the strength she had not to scream. She whispered, without looking at Lunar Song, "You're an autobot, to offline without mercy is against your code. This makes you no different than us. You know this, Lunar."

Lunar Song lowered her head, so close to Darkfire that she could reach up and bite her, and said, "Maybe you should have left my processor alone, then, instead of reshaping me into a decepticon. You _seekers _sealed your fate the moment you took me."

"You won't do this." Darkfire argued weakly, "you don't have the spark."

"Watch me." Lunar Song raised her head then, swinging her body sideways. In a flash of white her head dove down towards Havoc.

Darkfire roared, shifting her body hard. Grimlock's foot slipped and she forced herself up. Lunar Song lifted Havoc and slammed her body into Darkfire's face, knocking her back a few steps. She recovered quickly, side-stepping to avoid Grimlock's jaws. She came at Lunar Song again.

Lunar Song tilted her head back and worked her jaws, clenching them so hard around Havoc's frame that the gears in her head creaked. Havoc's frame resisted only for a moment before flattening beneath the pressure. Her body jerked then stilled, and Darkfire felt it when Havoc's spark was snuffed out. A cold, vast emptiness filled her spark, and she dropped to the ground as if all will to live had left her.

Lunar Song kept Havoc's body raised in the air. Darkfire's optics dimmed as the loss of the bond crashed through her. She began to shake, clenching her jaws tight. She came back slowly, focusing on Havoc's corpse when Lunar Song dropped it in front of her. Darkfire reached for her again, and this time she could curl her claws around Havoc's ruined body. She pulled the smaller femme to her.

The warmth was already leaving Havoc's body. Darkfire clutched at her, shuttering her optics. She whispered, "I'll crush you." Her optics opened again, an unfathomable rage taking over. She focused on Lunar song, "I'm going to tear you apart."

"You already have." Lunar Song said tonelessly.

* * *

><p>The rage within Sundance was new and commanding, coursing through her until it thrived in every part of her like veins of energon. She was exhausted, hungry, wounded, but she no longer felt any of it. She felt it when Havoc's body caved in her jaws, and the sick joy that curled around her in reaction frightened her.<p>

Some part of her, the part that was the old Sundance, before this nightmare happened, hated it. It wondered what would happen if her family or her friends found out about this. Then she realized that she didn't honestly care anymore. These decepticons had destroyed her, her oldest, best friend, the humans she had sworn to protect. They had done it all, and now it was time for her to pay them back for it.

Sundance stood close to Darkfire, watching as the heavy femme reached out with shaking arms to grasp Havoc and drag her to her. The look on the seeker's face was crushing, but it didn't phase Sundance. "I'll crush you," Darkfire rasped.

Sundance narrowed her optics, taking note when Grimlock stepped around Darkfire to post himself close beside her. She hadn't expected the mech to let her do this all by herself, stepping in only to stop Darkfire from attacking. She was grateful, though.

Darkfire slowly raised her gaze to fix on Sundance. Sundance could see the rage rapidly taking control in the seeker as her body shook and her serrated dentals ground against one another. She whispered, "I'll tear you apart."

Sundance tilted her head slightly. There was an emptiness inside her, one that seemed to stretch wider and deeper every time she thought about Lunar Song. Lunar Song was a different name, a processor full of different thoughts, but the body and the spark had been _her's. _Sundance's. It was _her _that had killed all of those humans, _her _that had attacked her mother, and _her _that had torn Jetfire from the sky and to his offlining. Sundance was ruined. The decepticon instincts hardwired into her processor still screamed at her, pushing her to attack without mercy. The memories of enjoying every minute of her time as a decepticon still lingered.

Sundance said, "You already have."

Darkfire rolled to her feet. Grimlock moved forward to put her back down but Sundance beat him to her. She slammed into the heavy femme, feeling it when Darkfire sank her claws into her side armor and raked them up her body, peeling the white plates off like skin. Sundance twisted sharply, pulling at the liquid fire in her belly. She moved as fast as she could, coiling all forty foot of her body around the femme.

Darkfire staggered and shifted her weight from side to side quickly, trying to throw her off. But Sundance held on, wedging her claws beneath her thick armor and anchoring down. She thought of all the time she had jumped Iron Hide, using the experience she'd gained to her advantage. _His weak spot was the center of his back. What's her's?_

_ Her armor is too thick to penetrate._ Sundance narrowed her optics, raking through all of her memories of past battles. Unbidden, images of Galvatron filled her processor. The answer came to her immediately afterward. _Burn it. _Sundance spread her jaws wide and unleashed a blast of flames on Darkfire's helm. The bigger femme thrashed, but still couldn't throw her. Sundance ducked her head and sank her teeth into the hot armor on Darkfire's face and bit down. The plates gave in easily, and she ripped them off to bear the pale gray skull beneath.

Darkfire pushed off the ground with her front legs to stand up, raising her clawed hands to plunge them into Sundance's chest plates. Her armor splintered, and Sundance quickly let go to step back. She was forced to keep retreating when Darkfire turned and lunged. Darkfire chuckled to herself when she missed her prey, saying, "We should have left you. You fight better as an autobot than you do a decepticon."

"You should have," Sundance agreed.

"You can't win this." Darkfire stared at her with bright crimson optics. The silver alloy of her skull gleamed, nearly completely stripped of armored plates that would form expression. Sundance imagined that she would be glaring at her if she had them. "If I don't kill you, Bloodstar will. She's in a rage now, soon she'll be coming here to avenge her sisters."

"Let her come."

Sundance rushed Darkfire, attacking her head on. Darkfire broadened her stance then swung her body sideways in an attempt to hit her with her massive tail. Sundance dropped, rolling her body beneath Darkfire's to pop up on her unguarded side. She slid to a stop, acting completely on instinct as she jerked back towards her opponent and let loose a round of flames along the femme's back armor. Darkfire pivoted on one foot, turning rapidly to counter attack, but Sundance was already gone, ducking back beneath her. She shifted her weight and stood up, ranking her claws down the hot armor on Darkfire's back. It was soft from the heat of her flames, and split like butter, leaving the interlocking vertebrae of her protoform spine bare.

Darkfire whirled back towards her. Sundance jumped back and swung her tail at her, smacking her across her face hard enough to make her stagger. Completing the turn before Darkfire could react, Sundance was upon her again, climbing up her hulking body to anchor down on her back. She lowered her head and tucked her nose into the long slice in the armor, and closed her teeth around her spine.

Darkfire screamed, stumbling hard to the left. Every cable in her body seemed to seize with pain, tightening so much that her joints squealed loudly. Sundance raised her tail for balance then bit down harder for a better grip. She twisted her head and pulled.

Darkfire began to shake, armor rattling as she began to lean. She kept stepping to the left, wings flapping violently once or twice before they drug on the ground. Sundance kept pulling, and for a brief moment, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to finish her. She yanked her head in the opposite direction as hard as she could, and it came free. Energon and fluids sprayed all across Sundance's pale armor as she ripped the femme's spine from her body.

Darkfire stilled for a brief moment, the only movement in her body being the way how her limbs trembled violently. Then, all at once, she caved. Sundance shifted enough to move to her right side as Darkfire collapsed. The massive seeker hit the earth like a felled mountain, making it quake and groan in protest.

Sundance stood on her for a moment, still clenching the energon soaked vertebrae between her jaws. Darkfire's breaths came out loud and ragged, sides lifting in time with each one. Her bare red optics stared out blankly, and her jaws hung open loosely. She couldn't move, completely helpless. Sundance stared down at her for a moment before stepping down from her huge body.

"...I...know..." Darkfire started, voice a quiet whisper, slurred because she couldn't move her jaws. Sundance paused and looked down at her. "...I...know...what..."

Grimlock approached, coming to stand beside Sundance. He eyed the decepticon's damage. Darkfire kept speaking, though more softly now than before, "I know what you are."

Sundance narrowed her optics as Darkfire's gaze slowly slid in her direction, unfocused and flickering. Her optics burned like stars in the black sockets of her skull, casting a hellish light over her dentals and her energon.

"You are me...and Havoc...and Bloodstar...Megraton...Galvatron..." Darkfire's breathing seemed to speed up, like she wasn't getting enough air, "...You are every...fragging...one of us...you think you're better...than decepticons..."

"But you...are one of us..." Energon started to bubble up in the back of her throat, rolling down her plated tongue to slip between her fangs. What was left of her lip plates twitched upwards in a disturbing smile, "...Only a decepticon...could slaughter like...this...and you know it."

Sundance said nothing, grinding her dentals over the sharp, pointed pieces of her spine. She stepped back and pulled her head back sharply. Darkfire's body jerked when her spine snapped free from the back of her skull, and she sank into the dirt. Sundance turned away from her while Grimlock stepped closer and scooped the offlining seeker in his jaws. He killed her with one last bite, then let her tumble out of his mouth to hit the ground again.

Sundance dropped her spine, disgust squeezing her spark when she realized it was still warm. She focused her optics on the horizon, swallowing the energon on her tongue. She didn't move or speak until Grimlock called, "Femme."

Sundance tilted her head just enough to eye him with one optic, stamping down on the urge to snarl at him for not using her true designation. He was standing over Darkfire with his nose pointed down to smell the wound that ran from the back of her head to the tip of her tail. Her armor was still smoking. The plates of armor still on her neck and tail had been wrenched free when Sundance had pulled her spine out, and lay scattered around her. Hot energon flooded out of her mouth and the slit in her back, pooling beneath her. It spread until it met and mixed with Havoc's energon, who lay a few feet away.

"You need to feed," Grimlock said, taking one foot to press to Darkfire's body as he raised the other and raked his huge claws across her gut. The plates of armor shredded and fell off, leaving cables and wiring to spill out like intestines.

Sundance bared her teeth, "No."

He snapped a look at her, also showing some of his teeth, "You _will_ eat."

"I won't eat the body of another femme!" Sundance snarled, "I refuse to fall to that level!"

Grimlock turned to fix both optics on her. "You have already killed and eaten humans."

The words struck her like a blow to the spark, and all she could do was stare at him. He continued, stripping away more armor with his foot, "You need the nourishment. If you do not feed now, you will offline."

Sundance shook herself, swinging her head away to glare down at her energon stained claws as she once again remembered the frightened screams, their faces as she plucked them from the ground one by one. She shuddered, then ground her dentals together when she saw flecks of dried blood on her claws. Again, the words bounced around in her processor, _What have I done?_

A shadow fell over her. Sundance didn't need to look to know that Grimlock was once again standing beside her. She nearly jumped out of her armor when he lowered his head and pressed his face against the place on her shoulder where it met her neck, "Your rage can keep you alive for a short time, but you cannot deny your body energon any longer. You need to eat."

"_No._"

He lifted his head then and slammed his helm against her side, knocking her side ways. Sundance stumbled a few steps before she shifted her weight to land back on all fours. She turned and roared at him, challenging him to try it again. Grimlock simply stared at her, pale blue optics squinted at her like he was looking at a very difficult puzzle.

"You are getting slower," He observed, "your anger has worn off and now you don't have anything to run off of."

"I won't eat her." Sundance hissed, her voice shaking, "I _won't._"

He started towards her, every step making the ground tremble beneath her feet. Sundance held her ground at first, knowing that he wouldn't purposely run her over. But he kept getting closer until his nose was touching her's, and she realized that he wasn't going to stop. Sundance moved back, "What are you doing?!"

He herded her like an animal, bumping her with his nose to get her to move in the direction he wanted her to. She soon realized that he was making her walk in circles, and after the third or fourth lap, she snapped at him, jaws snapping shut a mere inch away from his face. His face plates twitched but he said nothing, and kept going.

Sundance began to stumble in her footing shortly after. The wrath that burned inside of her was still there, but it was quiet, sated. It wasn't roaring in her processor or trying to control her body, so she felt it when her body clenched with hunger. Her optics began to dim, and it took more and more effort to keep her head and tail lifted as exhaustion set in. Grimlock never looked away from her, holding her gaze firmly.

It reminded her of a time she was younger, when she had watched Jo work an unruly colt on her ranch. She made the horse trot and run in circles until he tired. The comparison made Sundance mad, and she struck out at him again. This time her teeth scraped over his nose, deepening the grooves already there from the time she'd bitten him months ago. He nearly pushed her further into another lap.

Sundance tripped over her own feet before dropping like a stone, sinking down into the dirt even though she knew she didn't have time to rest. She had to get up, she had to finish her mission. She had to see Bloodstar dead before her. Only then would she rest.

Grimlock stopped walking, standing in front of her. He lowered his head again and turned it to tuck his nose beneath her body. He pushed her up to her feet then, repeating, "You need to eat."

Sundance shook her head but let him push her in the direction of the seekers. He said, "Close your optics. It will make it easier."

Sundance hesitated, staring at Darkfire's body. At first, she didn't know what to do, until Grimlock made his way to Havoc and promptly bit a chunk out of her armor. He spit the plates out then ducked his head back down to tear open the cables in her body. Sundance focused on Darkfire, then slowly leaned in to the mess of cables and tubes hanging out of her belly. She shuttered her optics and bit down, claws curling as hot energon flooded her mouth. She tilted her head back to let it roll down her throat before going in for a second bite.

* * *

><p><strong>So...I was sitting around yesterday, thinking 'What horrible, disturbing, badass way could Sundance hurt Darkfire?' You know, because she's got armor that only Grimlock can penetrate and she's way too fast for a femme her size and whatnot...I couldn't think of a way for Sundance to get under that armor without Grimlock's help, then I remembered Galvatron, how she melted layers of his armor until Paradox could cut through it. And then I thought about this special I saw on dinosaurs where a female Majungatholus(I think that's how you spell it) defending her baby broke an intruding male's back with one bite and how it left him completely helpless, but still alive. And I was like, damn, that's brutal. <strong>

**And then I was like, damn. That sounds like the perfect revenge. **

**And then I thought about it all together, and I was like, _damn._**

**Anyway, sorry if it grossed you out or disturbed you.**

**I may have another update up later tonight since this one was supposed to be posted yesterday. Tell me what you think, much love to all of my readers and reviewers. You guys make life bearable.**

**Also...as morbid as it was, I kinda enjoyed Sundance pulling Darkfire apart...and did anyone else notice that Grimlock gave the biggest kill to her? What a gentleman. :)**

**Sundance and her family, friends, Lunar Song and her trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66**

Sundance was laying down far away from the now cold corpses, red optics turned towards the sky once again. It was daylight again, and the sun was high in the sky, casting light and warmth over the earth. She tried to bask in like she used to do before, but it wasn't the same. Everything felt wrong, from the fresh energon in her tanks to the gore between her claws and dentals. She felt wrong. And no amount of reflecting or pinning the blame on the seekers could make it go away.

She hated the satisfied, full feeling that settled in her from her 'feeding', she hated the way how she had nearly sucked down every last drop of energon in Darkfire's body once her hunger had taken over her thoughts. She hated the way how she had to do it to survive. She hated it all.

"You fought well."

Sundance glanced at Grimlock as he towered over her, pale blue optics turned towards her. Her spark spun with surprise, some part of her shocked that he had actually _complimented_ her. The same part of her marveled at it, wondering just how many bots he'd complimented over the years. But she couldn't honestly bring herself to care, so she looked back at the sky and said nothing.

He took her silence as a cue to ask something else, "Are you not proud of your kills?"

"Technically," She started, voice toneless, "one of them was _your _kill."

"She was already offlining."

"You still dealt the killing blow, or...bite." Sundance shifted slightly, missing the weight of her wings. She thought about how nice it would be to fly right about now. She'd always been happiest in the air. She should be there now. Sundance thought about it for a moment, imagining the wind rushing between her feathers...then she saw Jetfire, the streams of energon arcing behind him as he plummeted.

Sundance shuttered her optics and tilted her head down. Grimlock shifted beside her like he didn't know what to do, and she prayed to Primus that he'd just walk away and leave her alone. His presence was pressing on her, and though he hadn't gotten in her face in a few hours, she was still uncomfortable around him.

"The other dinobots are lost," He said suddenly, voice unusually low with sadness. Sundance paused, tensing slightly as he continued, "I am not sure, but I think I and Swoop are the only ones left."

She opened her optics and looked up to him. This time, he was the one staring at the clouds. The look on his face was solemn, a change from the usual arrogant grin or angry stare. She asked quietly, "Do you worry about them?"

"We are not like you and the others. We do not rely on...friendship or bonds. There is only the war, the next battle and what glory can be won from it."

Sundance narrowed her optics. She wanted to ask, _Why are you telling me this? _She stopped when he turned his nose back to her and met her gaze. He said, "I do not worry about my soldiers."

She snorted, "Is that so?"

"I have faith in them," He said quickly, shocking her, "I know that they are far stronger than most autobots."

"What if one of them falls?"

"Then I hope they fall fighting as hard as they could, that they strike fears into the sparks of their enemies even in their offlining." He hesitated, unsure, "I've never worried about anyone before...until you."

_...Wow. _Sundance held her breath, surprise seizing her spark as she stared at him with wide optics. _That's awkward..._She went rigid when he leaned closer, getting right up in her face. He squinted at her, continuing, "You're just one femme, I could offline you in a minute."

Her optics narrowed and she bared her teeth, "Get away from me."

He stayed right there, even daring to lean closer until she could smell and feel his breath on her nose. Grimlock turned his head slightly, "You are afraid of me, but you do not back down. You always stand your ground."

"I wasn't raised to back down to any mech," Sundance snapped, "and if you don't get _the hell _out of my face, I'm going to-"

"I missed it."

She froze again. He kept going, the words coming out rushed like he was some inexperienced youngling with a crush, "I don't understand it. I used to wonder if you were malfunctioning in the processor when you snapped at me, but then I realized that you are different than the others. You will never step down, not even when you're filled with fear. You are brave. There is fire inside of you, and it burns so bright I can see it when I look at you."

Her spark squeezed, but not out of rage or fear. She couldn't quite register what it was, because he was still talking and suddenly she cared more about what he had to say than what she was feeling.

"When you were taken," He was saying, "I could think about nothing but bringing you back. But you were broken, and the fire was gone...and I hated it."

_Primus. _Sundance wanted to look away from him, to escape the naked honesty in his voice and gaze. This wasn't Grimlock. The 'king' would never say things like this. He was just an aft-faced brute that liked to roar and break things and thrash decepticons. He didn't care about anything outside of himself. In his world, _he _was the most important thing. This wasn't right.

"I want to see it again. It's all I can think of."

"Grimlock," Sundance started, voice a whisper, "stop."

"It's barely there. You are not the same. Please be brave again."

She stared at him with wide optics again, jaws clenched as she processed his plea. She tried to think, but it was like he had kicked her in the head and knocked her senseless. He waited, never looking away as she tried to piece together some kind of response. When she couldn't come up with one, she made herself look away from him. She stood up and walked away from him, steps weighted with all the things he'd just unloaded on her. _Primus, why now? Of all fragging times...it had to be now._

He followed her like a lost puppy, his shadow falling over her. Sundance stopped, staring down at her feet. She whispered, "_Why_?"

"I don't know," He answered.

"I will never be like I was, Grimlock," Sundance narrowed her optics, "I'm not that femme anymore."

"Slag."

She blinked, then snapped her head up to glare at him, "What?"

"That's a load of slag," He muttered, "what could they have done to break you like this?"

The rage bubbled up and Sundance abruptly shifted, side stepping and then pivoting to face him. She snarled, "They ripped my _processor _out of my _head _and put a _new one_ inside! They stripped my armor and cut the autobot badge from my body to replace it with their own! They filled my head and spark with lies, told me who I was and what I should do!"

He stilled, watching her quietly with steady blue optics that burned into her own. She raised a clawed hand to pull at the horn still left on her head. It creaked ominously, but didn't break off like she wanted it to, "They took my face off and put someone else's there! They replaced my feathers with some god-awful bat-shit looking wings and filled my spark with hate!"

"You are still Sundance."

"I am a _MONSTER_!" Sundance roared, "I can't just go back, I can't tear this darkness out of my body, Grimlock! I am Lunar Song, I always will be!"

He bared his teeth and started forward. Sundance held her ground, chest out and head raised defiantly. He still towered over her, his frame blocking out the sun as he filled her sight. He leaned down again, jaws cracked open a little. She finished, "I can't scrub this blood off my hands. Find someone else."

She started to turn on him again, but he tucked his nose under her belly and flipped her onto her side. Sundance hit the ground hard with an enraged shout, optics flaring with her anger as she started to pull herself back to her feet. He slammed one clawed foot against her body, pinning her down. She gasped as her armor buckled and bent inward, pinching the sensitive wiring beneath.

"Lies!" Grimlock snarled, leaning down over her to show his teeth right in front of her optic, "You blame yourself for things you didn't do, and you hide behind your hate. You're just being a coward."

"I will tear your spark out," Sundance hissed, "Get off me before I get pissed."

"You can do nothing to me!" Grimlock swung his head down and closed his teeth around a plate of her armor. Sundance's spark spun wildly, filled with fear. Her optics widened when he bit down hard, crushing the plate in his jaws easily. The first thought to cross her mind was, _He's going to kill me. _The next was, _make it quick, bastard, because if you don't I'll tear you a part._

He wrenched the plate from her body and tossed it. She tensed, waiting for him to shove his nose into the new hole in her armor to eat her spark, but he did nothing else. He seemed to still over her, falling quiet. Minutes passed, and she began to worry. She rasped, "Grimlock?"

"You saved him," Grimlock growled, "that annoying brother of yours. Darkfire would have eaten him whole, but you went in and saved him."

Sundance tensed, thinking of Flashback, the way how he had huddled beneath her like he knew, without a doubt, that she would protect him. How his presence made her stronger, faster, the need to protect him with her life burning in her spark like a beacon.

"If you were a monster," Grimlock started, lifting his foot from her body to let her up, "You would have eaten him instead, and you would have helped offline the other sparklings."

Sundance remained on her side as his words sank in. She ran them through her processor a hundred times, and for the first time since her awakening, she felt a sense of clarity and peace, however small or fragile it was. She rolled over to her stomach slowly, then tensed again when he stepped closer and pushed his head against her body, helping her to her feet. When she was standing, he walked away several steps until he was in a clear spot all to himself.

Sundance watched him as he settled down, resting on his front with his legs bent at his sides like a big ass metal bird with teeth. He laid his head down, optics already beginning to drift closed as he let his body pull him into recharge. She observed for a moment longer before raising a set of claws to curl around the bare patch on her chest. Her spark wasn't visible, but her wiring was. _Why only one piece? _

She looked down and moved towards the crushed piece of armor he'd yanked off. Sundance lifted it in one of her hands and turned it in the light. Her spark seemed to warm when she realized it was the plate that had the decepticon badge etched into it. She looked over her shoulder back at the mech, who's tail was stretched out towards her.

Her optics softened, and she dropped it before approaching him with quiet foot steps. Sundance hesitated when she reached him, unsure of the actions she was about to take. She stood beside him for a few minutes, replaying their conversation in her processor. She moved close to him, pressing her side against his before she laid down beside him. He shifted when he felt her armor against his, sliding his head through the dirt in her direction a few feet. Sundance brought her head down slowly, curling her neck over the top of his and resting her chin between his shoulders.

She almost said the words, but decided against it when she realized he was already deep in recharge. So Sundance simply dimmed her optics and waited for it to take her as well.

..._Thank you._

* * *

><p><strong>EDIT: GOD SO MANY TYPOS AND MESS UPS. Sorry, it's midnight and I'm very tired, so please excuse any horrible mess ups. Good Lord I need to do this shit earlier in the day...<strong>

**I was heavily tempted to write this one from Grim's POV, but it feels like he's the only one developing feelings, so I wanted to toss something in there that would kinda wake Sundance up a little to what was going on in his big head. **

**I will be writing some more from his side, though, so look forward to that in the future. **

**Anyway, much love. Tell me what you think. And awesome reviews over the last few updates! Y'all always leave good ones, but I love getting those long ones. I really appreciate it, it lets me know that I'm actually doing something right. **

**Sundance/Lunar Song and her family and friends, the trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67**

_Where are they?_

She curled in her cell, claws clenched so tight the joints in her fingers squealed. Her limbs shook violently, her optics burned. Her spark felt like it was spinning out of control, flickering and struggling to reach through closed bonds to her trine sisters. "Where are they?" She hissed, raising her claws to pull at her chest as the emptiness in her spark ripped through her. Wide canyons, dark and endless, cold.

A low growl began to vibrate in her chest, coming out dark and angry sounding as she twisted sharply. The so-called guards standing outside her cell tensed and whirled towards her when she raised her voice, "Where are they!"

"What the pit is your fraggin' problem?" One of them snapped.

The other shouted, "Shut up, 'con!"

Bloodstar opened her jaws, lip plates pulled back. Her processor seemed to stutter, struggling to form complete thoughts. She stood up, broken wings trembling as she screamed, "_Where are they!"_

Their optics widened. Bloodstar turned and stalked to the other wall of her cell. _Darkfire. Havoc. _Where were they? She couldn't feel them. It wasn't like the distance she felt from them when they stretched their bonds in battle or in the presence of enemies. It wasn't like the feeling when Darkfire or Havoc grew angry and slammed down on the bond. She could feel nothing, nothing but emptiness. Cold. Darkness. She couldn't feel or see the light of their sparks. She could see nothing.

"My sisters," She whispered, shuttering her optics tightly as she desperately tried to pull at them. Her entire body screamed from the loss. They were a trine, they had been created together. They had grown together, fought together. They had always responded to her when she called them, but now she felt nothing.

"_Sisters_," She wailed, "Where is my trine?"

The autobots outside had took a step closer to look at her with raised optic ridges. One of them raised a hand to his helm and spoke into some comm. link, "Uh yeah, the prisoner has gone bat-shit crazy...no. She's not making _any _slagging sense, but she's kinda startin' to freak me the fuck out."

"Havoc...Darkfire..." Bloodstar raked her claws across the floor, leaving deep gouges in the stone. "My sisters...what has happened?"

They were gone. The realization hit her like a blow to the spark, her trine was offline. Dead. Destroyed. Gone. The pain grew until she could no longer stand, and she collapsed there in the corner. She leaned her body against the wall. _What happened? _What on earth could have been strong enough to take out both of them at once?

She forced herself to think, replaying in her head what had happened. They had been attacked, that much she knew. But by who? Who would dare attack her sisters? Through the bond, she had seen brief flashes of the battle, though it had all moved so fast she had only caught blurs of color. Gray and red. Pale blue. Bright crimson. White.

Bloodstar went rigid, optics snapping open.

_White._

"No..." Bloodstar ground her dentals together. Her spark burned bright as an unfathomable rage took over, wrapping tight around her. It constricted, controlled. _Lunar Song. _Bloodstar threw back her head and roared, pulling the sound from the pit of her stomach. It echoed, filling the air like a round of thunder.

"_LUNAR SONG!"_

* * *

><p>Demona tensed when she heard it, turning away from her human family to look in the direction of the seeker's cell. Her optics narrowed as the roar shook the walls of their base, full of such anger and pain. She took note when Pockets pulled Gears closer to her feet, planting them both between her toe claws as they'd taken to doing when they felt frightened by decepticons over the years.<p>

"What the _hell _is _that_?" Gears called.

Pockets offered, "Someone played a prank on Ironhide?"

"That's _not_ Ironhide!"

Demona looked down at them, "Go back into the infirmary."

"What?" Pockets stared up at her.

Demona knelt slowly, careful not to hurt them, "Go back inside, take care of Alex."

"Where are you going?" Gears asked. Demona reached down and wrapped her fingers around them gently and lifted them to place them inside the doorway to the infirmary.

"To check on something," She paused, then peeled Backlash off of her chest armor with practiced ease to place him into Pockets' waiting arms. "I'll be back shortly."

"Alright..." Pockets turned and guided Gears back inside, who was frowning deeply. Demona stood up again and started the long walk towards the brig. When she arrived, Optimus was already there along with Prowl and Jazz.

The Prime was trying to interrogate Bloodstar, who was silent now, piled on her self like coils of silver, black and red armor. One of her optics was visible in the darkness, burning like a red star. She completely ignored the three mechs, but when Demona came into sight, standing in the back behind the others, the femme uncoiled just enough to fix both optics on her.

"She has turned." Bloodstar said, voice oddly quite and sad.

Demona tensed slightly. The mechs paused, turning slightly to glance at her, but she was completely focused on the seeker, who chuckled lowly. Bloodstar continued, optics drifting away like she couldn't focus, "I should have known better. I should have slaughtered her the moment I learned...that she was yours."

Demona started forward with slow steps, passing the mechs to stand in front of the cell, "Where is my daughter?"

The decepticon chuckled again, though it was louder, "Have you ever lost someone, Demona? Have you ever reached for them with your spark...only to find that they're no longer there...that their light was snuffed out."

Demona paused, memories of Jolt and Sundance flying through her processor. Her voice softened, "Yes."

"It's the perfect wound, isn't it? It just gets wider and deeper until it swallows you whole. It leaves you blind and weak..." Bloodstar took in a deep breath, "I should have left her to rust. None of this should have happened. My sisters are gone."

Bloodstar's optics narrowed, "Slaughtered like animals by _her._"

"Where is she?" Demona repeated.

"Feasting on the corpses of my trine." Bloodstar uncurled a little more, "she must remember, now."

Demona's spark tensed. She held her breath as the weight of the words and their meaning crashed through her.

Bloodstar promised, "She will rue the day she was created."

"You will not touch her," Demona snarled, "you and your trine started this the moment you took her from me, and you will pay for your actions."

Bloodstar hissed before lunging. She slammed her body against the bars so hard they rattled. Demona didn't so much as flinch, meeting her burning red optics calmly. The seeker spat, "She is more decepticon than autobot, and you know it! After all, she is a descendent of _Megatron_!"

Demona ground her dentals, "_Yes_, but she is _also_ a descendent of autobot Angelus."

"Who was destroyed by her hatred."

"_Who_ fought it and returned to the autobot ranks years after," Demona lowered her voice to a deadly tone, "You are lucky these bars are here to keep you safe."

Bloodstar stilled, optics widening slightly. Demona stepped closer, "Someday soon there won't be anything standing between us. I hope you say your prayers to the Allspark, because when that day comes, you will suffer, and nothing will save you."

Bloodstar processed her words before matching her expression and bringing her face closer so they were optic-to-optic, "Not before I tear your sparkling from the sky and make you watch her die."

Demona clenched her fists. She was seriously considering just letting the fragging seeker out so she could pummel her into the ground. Bloodstar smirked at her, "Yes, Demona, stand there seething in your rage. Glare. Clench your fists. Grind your teeth. The day _will _come when I make you feel the loss you and your _spawn _have caused me, and I will _enjoy _every _second _of it."

"Sundance has already destroyed your trine," Demona stepped back, "if she could take them both on at once and put them down, what makes you think you'll overcome her?"

Bloodstar stared, lip plates trembling slightly like she wanted to bite Demona's face off. Demona turned her back on her and left, ignoring the way how Optimus tugged lightly on her spark. She started towards the infirmary, pulling at Jolt to get his attention, _'Bloodstar believes Sundance has awoken.'_

He stilled, and she felt the shock squeeze his spark at the news. He reacted slowly, the words and feelings on his end almost strained, _'Why hasn't she used the bond?'_

_ '...I don't know.' _Demona answered honestly, _'Maybe it's been strained so long...that she can't.'_

_ 'Primus.' _Jolt huffed, _'everything has gone to the pit. Demona, what do we do?'_

She paused, optics narrowing when she felt the sheer desperation he was feeling. She changed course, turning down a hall to the med bay where he had been summoned earlier to take over watching Jetfire. She didn't answer him right away, unsure of the answer herself. She entered the pristine room and settled her optics on him. He was standing straight-backed, the image of alertness. But she could see the exhaustion and feeling in his optics, all of the anger, fear, and pain that she felt.

Flashback was resting on his shoulder between plates of his armor, still deep in recharge. Her mech raised his optics to her when she entered. Demona crossed the room and slid her arms around him to hold him tight. She rested her head against his chest armor, smiling faintly when he pulled her closer. For a moment, peace flooded through her. It was brief, but it calmed her spark and thoughts enough for her to speak.

"We have to find her," She whispered, "and bring her home."

* * *

><p>Grimlock was warm. And comfortable.<p>

Some part of him registered that he was sleeping on the ground, in the dirt with energon caked on his jaws. But it didn't seem to matter, because he was warm. He didn't get cold easily, and his body was large enough to put out a lot of heat, but this warmth was different. It was more than what he was used to, and it was almost comforting.

He didn't want to wake up. It was childish and stupid, and it make him feel like a sparkling, but he didn't want to.

Recharge left him anyway, and he slowly became aware of his surroundings. Someone was laying beside him, and his spark tensed with anger. Who would dare rest beside Grimlock? He was king, he needed no one.

His anger left him as quickly as it came when he thought about the femme, and something different filled his spark, something he didn't understand. He wanted to look, to see her there, but something stopped him. He held his breath, and focused on what he could feel.

Something was resting over the top of his head, snaking up to the space between his shoulders. There was also something draped over his tail, the long limb curling around his other side. A soft breeze blew, and her scent filled his nose. He onlined and opened his optics slowly. It was growing dark again, but what light was left cast sharp highlights over dented and scratched pale armor.

The femme was there, smaller body pressed to him with her tail wrapped around his side and head resting on his back. He didn't move, realizing that this was the first time he'd ever woken from recharge with a femme, never mind another bot. The feeling was strange, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not at first.

But as the minutes went by, he realized that he didn't want to move. He shuttered his optics and laid there until she onlined, body tensing slightly against his. She moved slowly, lifting her head and turning away from him to curl it around her body and lay her head at her side instead. He shifted, pointing his nose at her to watch. She asked, voice quiet, "Are you awake?"

"Yes." He answered.

"How long have you been up?" Her optics closed like she was trying to recharge again.

"Not long."

"Why do you care for me?" She started suddenly, "I don't understand. You could have picked any other femme."

"I don't know. You are different than the others."

"So does that mean I'm worthy of being a part of the king's life?" She said with a bit of humor.

He tensed slightly, spark squeezing in a funny way that made him feel light. His processor seemed to stop working, he couldn't think correctly. He cracked his jaws to speak, but nothing came out. He raised his head and shifted his body up. He curled his thick neck around her's to place his head back on the ground beside her's. He tilted his head a little when he heard a soft, familiar sound.

"Thank you," She said quietly, "for finding me and staying with me."

He still couldn't think right, so he simply nodded. She inhaled deeply, "I'm afraid of going home."

He finally managed, "Why."

"I don't know what they'll do. I'm not worried about my family...but Optimus, and Prowl, and the others...some of the things I did are inexcusable to them. And the Liason...the other humans that are in the government. I don't know what they'll do when they hear about this."

"Do not worry about it. We still have one last seeker to hunt."

"She's at home. The autobots took her prisoner after the..." She shuddered, "the _'hunt'._"

"Be brave," He muttered, "stand your ground."

The femme fell quiet, lost once again in her thoughts. Grimlock settled, content to just stay there for as long as he wanted. He strained his audios when he heard the sound again, listening until he recognized it. She was humming, very quietly, like she used to do when she was watching over her brother's with soft optics or when she would bask in the sun with that odd human girl stretched out on her armor.

She was content, too, he realized.

* * *

><p><strong>Had a hard time trying to write how he would react. In the end I figured he'd be more shocked than anything, and that he'd kinda act like a little kid in the sense that he wouldn't want to move or wake her up in case she would leave him. <strong>

**He got butterflies when she joked with him. So cute. **

**Tell me what you think. Much love to everyone.**

**Sundance and her family, friends, Bloodstar, her trine, and Lunar, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68**

"We should go."

Sundance tilted her head slightly, cracking an optic open to look at Grimlock who was still curled around her. Though he had said the words, he didn't look like he wanted to move any time soon. His optics were half open and dimmed. In all honesty, he looked as though he wanted to stay.

He added, "You cannot hide from them any longer."

"I can't move until you do," Sundance muttered. She tensed slightly when he simply pressed closer to her, tightening his body around her until she couldn't breathe without touching him. She shuttered her optics, "Grimlock."

"Femme."

"I'm going to tell your soldiers that you like to cuddle."

He nearly jerked, "You will _not_."

"I'll tell Swoop first," Sundance threatened, "he'll make sure to spread it all over base."

With a low growl he uncoiled. The cool air that touched her armor was almost a shock when he stood up. Sundance onlined her optics and lifted her head, watching him as he started to stalk towards the corpses of the seekers, now cold and empty. Her optics narrowed as she thought about what had happened yesterday. She had torn the seekers apart, letting all of her rage take over as she punished them for every life they'd ever taken or ruined. Grimlock had made her feed on their energon. The mech's outburst. Curling beside him while he was recharging.

_Primus, what is happening? _Sundance kneaded the dirt with her claws. Grimlock was poking and prodding the carcasses with his nose, like he was looking for leftovers. She turned away from him and looked over shoulder in the direction she knew their home was.

"What am I doing?" She whispered to herself. The question burned angrily in her processor. Grimlock was right. She couldn't hide from her family and her faction forever. She _wanted _to go home, to wrap herself around her brothers and love them until they were screaming with laughter. She wanted to climb into her mother's lap like she used to when she was a sparkling. She wanted to feel her father's arms around her. She wanted to see Ash...if she survived.

A sharp pang stabbed at her spark, but she shoved it down harshly. Of course Ash survived. The girl was too damn tough, too clever and too quick. Sundance had to believe that she had made it, or else she would lose what small peace she had found...

Peace she had found here, with _him. _

Venting loudly, Sundance pulled herself to her feet then shook to try to get rid of some of the dirt and dust beneath her armor. _Of all fragging times...does he even understand any of this? _She blinked and swung her head back towards him when she heard armor rattle. He had tipped Darkfire's body over and was now smelling her undamaged side. He side-stepped around the body then stopped when he felt her gaze.

Grimlock raised his head slightly to stare back at her with pale, cold blue optics.

She narrowed her optics and looked away, glaring angrily at the sky. It was bad enough that her life had been turned upside down. Now the fragging leader of the dinobots, who was _famous _for his arrogance and wrath, was crushing on her like some youngling. She couldn't completely wrap her processor around it.

In a way, she had allowed this to happen. She should have seen it coming when he started paying more attention to her at base. Sundance should have distanced herself, she should have stopped it. Recharging beside him and joking with him was _not _making things any better.

"There is still energon left," Grimlock stated. Sundance looked at him. He stood on Darkfire and raked his toe claws over her side to strip her armor. He raised his optics to her almost expectantly, and she realized he was offering it to her.

Despite the morbid nature of it all, her spark warmed. Her thoughts turned away from scolding herself, and she started towards him. She stopped on the other side of Darkfire's frame, "It's yours."

His optics hardened like he was about to start making her walk circles again, and she raised a scarred optic ridge at him, "You need it more than I do." She lowered her head and pushed Darkfire towards him, "when was the last time you ate, besides yesterday?"

"Searching for you took precedence."

Sundance blinked, "Grimlock, how long have you been looking for me?"

"Since you were taken." He said simply, "I did not know where to look, though. A few days ago Swoop told me that you had been seen, and then I found you."

She stared at him. _...you're not supposed to say things like that. _She vented again, looking away. He followed, stepping forward and bringing his body low so that he was optic level with her.

He said, "You are angry with me?"

"Yes...no..." She shook her head, "I don't know." She hesitated before asking, "Grimlock, do you know what's happening right now?"

"We're talking, and you are angry and not angry with me."

Sundance met his gaze, "What are you thinking about?"

This time he paused, tilting his head slightly like he was thinking really hard about his answer. She half expected him to grunt and say something like, 'I am a king, and a king doesn't need to think'. But what came out of his mouth nearly made her glitch.

"You were singing earlier," He started, "and you only sing when you are happy. I have not heard you sing in a long time, because you have not been happy. But you were singing, you were happy. With me." He leaned forward to get up in her space, and she allowed it, too shocked to respond. He repeated, "You were happy with me."

Sundance stood frozen as he took a step closer, so close now she could feel his breath on her nose. "I am thinking about your fire. It's in your optics today, like it was before. I missed it."

She snapped her gaze away, dropping her head when her spark pulsed wildly. _Stop it! _She snarled at herself, _this is...this is..._She lost her train of thought then because he had leaned in closer to tuck his huge head beneath her neck and press his cheek to her chest plates like he was trying to listen to her spark.

Sundance held her breath, standing rigid with her processor scrambling to make sense of all this. The rational side of her knew exactly what was happening, though, and urged her to react. But she could do nothing. When she didn't move or say anything, he asked again, "Are you angry with me?"

Sundance stepped back slowly. Grimlock lifted his head enough to meet her optics. She said quietly, voice a whisper, "No." Then, against all of the self-loathing and reprimanding she had just put herself through, she stretched out her neck to touch her nose to his. His optics seemed to brighten a little, and he lowered his head to shove her in the side with it.

Sundance broke out of her trance and snapped her teeth at him. Grimlock grinned and pushed her forward a few steps, "We must return."

Sundance shook herself in an attempt to get rid of the strange warmth pooling through her, but it wouldn't go away. So she simply raised her head and started towards base with Grimlock walking alongside her.

* * *

><p>Bloodstar's red optics glared out from the shadows, burning like twin stars as she watched her current guards, if they could even be called that.<p>

The two mechs were short and stout, with some rather interesting...faces. Though they had been put on guard duty with strict orders from the weapon's specialist and Prime himself, they seemed more interested in goofing off than actually guarding. Their backs were turned to her. They were planning some kind of prank to play on some poor mech.

Bloodstar grinned slowly, red teeth flashing faintly in the light of her optics. She uncoiled silently, moving slowly and gracefully. She got to her feet, claws curling as she felt the stabbing pain of her lost bonds. She had to have her revenge, she had to see Lunar Song fall before her. She would stop at _nothing _to see her offline.

She curled her neck into a perfect 'S', then struck, throwing all of her weight into the attack. She hit the bars, dust rained down as they resisted. The two bots jumped with a loud shout of surprise. One of them whirled around and pointed a finger at her, "Hey! What the hells do ya think you're doin! Crazy-ass broad!"

Bloodstar chuckled darkly, baring more teeth as she made her way to the back of the cell again. The bars were weakening, she knew it in her spark. They would cave soon, and she would be free. The fools thought mere iron could hold her back. They would soon know.

Bloodstar curled and charged. She hit the bars and twisted harshly, laying as much weight as she possibly could on them. The metal groaned then squealed in protest. The bars bent. Bloodstar's grin grew further, stretching across her face baring every tooth she had. The bots scrambled, tripping over one another as they tried to get to the emergency switch.

Bloodstar wedged her head between the bars and used her horns to pull them further apart. She rolled her body and smacked her side against them, and with one more ear-splitting screech, they snapped.

Bloodstar spilled out of her cell with a cruel bark of laughter that had the mechs freezing with their feet raised and arms stretching towards the switch. Bloodstar gathered herself and lunged, jaws open wide to crush and kill.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hopeless romantics<em>-the first part is for _you_. (Points accusingly) ****Sundance is in that frustrating place where she's stuck between acceptance and complete denial...poor girl. It's the last thing she needs right now.**

**And what dumbass put Mudflap and Skidz on guard duty?**

**Also, I've got some new half-assed artwork up on my DA. Links on my profile, go check it out if you want. **

**Sundance and her family, friends, Bloodstar, her trine, Lunar Song, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not. **


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69**

Sundance paused as she felt it. Her spark spun with pain and joy as she felt a feather-light touch through bonds she had thought closed. It was strained like they had stretched a great distance to find her, but she felt it when her brothers tugged on her. First Backlash because he was scared, then Flashback because he wanted her to come home, and quick.

She stopped completely, tilting her head down as pain filled her. The touch nearly burned her spark, and the bonds, which she hadn't been able to access since she woke up, ached from the use. She hadn't worried about it at first. She didn't want her family to feel her anger and her hate. She didn't want them to know what she was feeling, she didn't want them to suffer from her pain. But now she was concerned.

Though they barely managed to touch her, Sundance could sense that they were both afraid.

Grimlock had stopped a step or two ahead of her and was turned to look at her. His cold blue optics bored into her, and he growled, "Why did you stop?"

"Somethings wrong," Sundance said softly, lifting her head to look in the direction of base. They were closer now. They had walked at first, then ran until one of the two, usually her, tired. The process had repeated over the past few hours. Sundance had mostly taken her time, because she was afraid of how they would react when they saw her again.

Grimlock moved closer, "What is it."

"My brothers..." Sundance hesitated when Flashback tried again. This time, the pull was stronger, more urgent. He managed to send her an image, though blurred and faint, of flashing lights and blaring sirens. Sundance went rigid, "Bloodstar has escaped."

Grimlock rumbled, then said, "We must go."

Sundance glided forward wordlessly, building momentum with long, quick strides before she rolled her body down and shoved off the ground. She shot high into the air and twisted her body sharply as her armor lifted and spun. She hit the ground and drilled through, burying herself deep underground as she raced towards home.

The third time they tried to reach her, she attempted to tug back. It felt like she was reaching across miles and miles, and for a moment, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to make it. But she caught a glimpse of their small sparks, and she promised, _'I'm coming.'_

Her spark warmed when she felt their shock at her response, like they couldn't believe it, even though it hurt. She burrowed faster, determined to get there in time.

* * *

><p>The little mechs scattered, their short legs moving to carry them out of Bloodstar's range. She let them go. She had to get out, she had to hunt the traitor down and tear her open. She would destroy Lunar Song, and she would not rest until the femme's body was crumpled before her.<p>

Bloodstar rushed through the doors, gliding up the steps to burst into one of the main halls. A few autobots hanging around jumped to attention, swinging towards her the moment she spilled across the floor. She bared her blood red fangs at them in a twisted grin, red optics wide as she took them in. They primed their weapons, a few spoke into their comm links. Overhead, sirens began to sound, screaming and flashing red lights across them. Bloodstar straightened, rolling her shoulders as she started towards them.

She hissed, "I have slaughtered thousands of your kind," the autobots tensed but kept approaching her. The ones with firearms raised their guns and took aim. "You honestly think that you can stop me?"

The air began to hum with energy. Bloodstar coiled her body to strike then shot forward with her jaws open. They started forward but pulled back sharply when she summoned her flame and let it fill the space from floor to ceiling. One of them shouted in pain, having waited too late to move. Bloodstar closed her mouth over the river of flames and then ran through the fire. She felt the burn on her armor but ignored it.

Bloodstar shoved past the autobots, sparing a second to push a few into the flames with a powerful swing of her tail before she continued on her way. She plowed through them, destroying what she could as she quickly navigated the base in her search for a way out.

She managed to make it to the door before something sharp penetrated her side. Bloodstar turned sharply, opening her jaws in an enraged roar. Her optics fixed on those of the younger medic, his hands fisted around the cord of his whips. Bloodstar's breath caught when she followed the linked lines all the way to the blade-like tips that were now buried in her armor. She raised her claws to cut them, but he stepped back and yanked with all of his strength before she could.

Bloodstar's feet were torn from beneath her as her body flipped. She landed hard on her side, the impact knocking the wind from her body. She struggled, trying to get her feet beneath her so she could counter. She clawed at the floor, tearing and shattering the concrete. Her armor scraped across the floor. She managed to rise half way before a blade buried itself in the soft spot where her neck met her shoulders.

Bloodstar screamed, writhing. A clawed foot came down on her side, and the blade was pushed in deeper before it was wrenched back out. She turned her head and caught a glimpse of rose red armor. Her optics widened, then shuttered as she started to laugh. Her entire body shook with it. She rasped, "Demona! I was wondering when you'd show!"

"For a femme that's made so many threats," Demona said, "you're an easy target to take down."

* * *

><p>Ash went rigid as the sirens went off. Her pale eyes widened as the other survivors hit the floor and covered their heads. Critter and the little girl were awake for the first time in hours, and he was holding her close while shouting over the noise to Pockets.<p>

Rex planted himself beside Ash and wrapped both scrawny arms around her. She clutched at his shirt as he lifted her and quickly carried her to a protected spot. Shark was right behind him. Ash shouted, "What the fuck is happening?!"

"Decepticons!" Gears shouted back, sliding down to her feet quickly. She snatched baby Backlash from Pockets and held him tight as she followed him to Critter. Critter curled slightly, still holding the little girl, while Pockets lifted him.

Nurses and paramedics were running all over the place like headless chickens, so Pockets pointed somewhere and started yelling orders like some drill instructor. They snapped to attention and quickly obeyed him, gathering the people huddling on the floor and guiding them to safety. Soon they were all crammed into one tiny spot in the room. The survivors and nurses whispered harshly to one another while Ash and her family clamped their mouths shut.

Sounds of battle filled the hall outside then passed, moving away. Metallic baritones were giving orders, mechs were shouting angrily. Others were groaning in pain. The smell of smoke and melting materials filled the air. Ash held her breath, eyes widening when she realized it was one of the dragons that was attacking them.

She leaned forward, half tempted to go after the bitch, but Rex wrapped an arm around her and hauled her back against his side. He hissed, "No, Ash!"

Ash pulled a little more, straining her senses.

"If we make it out of this," Critter muttered somewhere on her right, "I swear to God that I am _never _coming back to this place."

"You and me both," Rex deadpanned.

An odd quiet fell over the hall. Everyone shut up like they were afraid of breaking it, everyone either leaning forward or pressed against the wall like they were trying to meld with it. Ash clenched her teeth, hands fisted in her jeans.

Backlash started to chatter.

The sound made Ash jump, and she quickly turned her eyes to the sparkling as he tried to wiggle away from Gears. He was stretching as far as he could with his little arms, grabbing at thin air with his optics wide and full of awe and love. Gears shifted him but held on, whispering, "No, baby. We can't go find mommy and daddy right now."

It was about that time that Flashback raced around the corner, his two little sidekicks right behind him. Ash blinked, staring at them. Pockets muttered a few curses before pushing himself to his feet and stepping over people to call to the sparklings. Flashback fixed on him then ran towards him. Pockets knelt and wrapped an arm around the sparkling when he practically threw himself at him.

"It's Bloodstar!" Flashback was saying rapidly, breaths ragged, "she got out somehow, she's been all over the place burnin' the slag out of mechs!"

He paused to glance behind him at Solaris and Warhammer, who were standing kinda awkwardly there behind him. Flashback huffed then grabbed the two of them and yanked them into Pockets' embrace so they were sandwiched around him.

"Shit," Pockets whispered, widening his arms to adjust to all three of the sparklings now against his chest, "do you know what way she's headed?"

Solaris raised an arm and pointed towards one of the walls, "Towards the base entrance."

"Mom and dad got her pinned right now," Flashback picked up. He paused to look at Backlash who was reaching for him. Flashback reached back, letting the smaller sparkling grab unto his arm.

Both of the sparklings abruptly tensed, optics widening. Flashback turned his optics to the door, whispering, "Was...did...What just happened?"

"Baby, what is it?" Gears pushed.

Ash went rigid when he whispered, "I _felt _her. She touched my spark. I...she _talked _to me." When he didn't say anything else, lost in his shock, she leaned forward and wrapped a hand around his shoulder.

Ash hissed, "_Who_?"

He hesitated, before answering, "Sundance."

Ash's heart clenched. All she could do was stare at him at first, frozen. Pockets looked down at him with a wide-eyed look, "Are you sure?"

"...Yeah. She just told me that she was coming. Here."

Before anything else could be said, Ash shoved herself up. Her bones screamed in protest and her muscles clenched so hard from the effort she thought they'd explode, but she forced herself to move. She stepped forward quickly, dodging all the hands that shot up to grab her. She took another step, legs shaking, then another until she was running.

"ASHLYNN!" Her parents screamed after her.

Ash kept running, bare feet pounding the floor as she pushed herself. She spun and dove between huge feet when she came across a handful of mechs. She tripped once, but caught herself before she fell. She kept going without pause, pushing past the pain and weakness that was threatening to overcome her body.

She couldn't stop.  
>She had to be there, she had to see her.<p>

* * *

><p>Bloodstar chuckled, "I'm going to eat your child, traitor."<p>

The mech tensed across from them, bright blue optics narrowing. Bloodstar let herself sink down for a moment, taking in her surroundings.

The mech was close but out of range, and he had his whips pulled taunt in case she tried to strike at Demona. Demona was leaning her weight on her, keeping her pinned with a wrist blade pressed to her neck. Other autobots were storming down the hall, Bloodstar could hear their foot-steps growing louder with every passing second. The door was just ahead of her, and just on the other side of it was freedom. She only had to make it to the door.

Bloodstar rumbled deep in her chest as she planned, pulling tactics and moves she'd learned in different battles. She smiled, "I'm going to eat her, I will paint my armor with her energon."

Demona snarled, toe claws tightening around Bloodstar's armor. Bloodstar laughed again before she made her move, twisting her frame as hard as she could to knock Demona off balance. The autobot stumbled, unable to catch herself in time, and Bloodstar slammed her tail across her torso. The femme hit the wall.

Bloodstar shot to her feet, armor spinning lightly. She turned and snapped her jaws tight over the mech's whips, and with one harsh pull, ripped the points out of her hide. She threw him, right into one of the mechs that had been approaching to help. Bloodstar roared, "I am Bloodstar, leading sister of the deadliest trine to ever live! You will have to do better, _autobots, _if you want to bring me down!"

She tensed when a tiny voice shouted back, "'Deadliest trine' my PALE FRECKLED _ASS_!"

Bloodstar's optics widened, head whipping around to stare down at a familiar human female with pale yellow hair and fiery gray eyes. The child raised a hand and pointed, "I was the one that took out one of your eyes, bitch! And with a fucking BB gun! Some badass _you _are! You couldn't even kill _me_, what makes you think you're so freakin' amazingly great?!"

Bloodstar peeled her lip plates back, snarling, "_You!_"

"Hell yeah it's _me_." The girl glared at her, completely fearless in the face of death, "I _told _you that you were going to pay for what you did to Sunny."

Bloodstar lunged, black and red head striking forward in a blur of color. The human girl dropped and rolled, though she could tell it hurt her to do so. She popped up to her feet and ran for the doors. Bloodstar rushed after her, "This time, I'm going to swallow you _whole_!"

The doors opened for the human, who ran out on bruised, shaking, skinny legs. Bloodstar exploded through the door way when it started to hiss shut between them and tumbled out into the sunlight. Some part of her registered that she could escape now, that she was free and in the open. But her processor was fixed on the human, who paused just long enough to look around before taking off again with a panicked look on her face.

Bloodstar grinned, "Theres no where for you to hide this time, human!" She charged after her, the earth trembling beneath her weight as she went. She was upon her prey in a matter of seconds, and before the human could so much as scream, she ducked her head down and closed her jaws around her.

Bloodstar grinned as the human squirmed in her mouth, and she tilted her head back to swallow. She ended up gagging instead, because the human abruptly wrapped her hands around her teeth and kicked at the soft plating covering the top of her mouth.

Bloodstar staggered back and shifted, stepping heavily to the right as the human dug her heels into her mouth. Her screams were muffled because she was in her mouth, but Bloodstar could still hear them, "Oh I _KNOW_ you are _NOT_ TRYING TO _EAT ME_! _BITCH_!"

Bloodstar kept turning, vaguely aware of the autobots filing out to watch with widened optics when they realized what was happening. They stood there, either too shocked or too scared to attack in case they caused Bloodstar to actually consume the troublesome human. But as they gathered, their expressions seemed to change.

The sands began to shift and shudder beneath her feet, the ground vibrated. Bloodstar ignored it, whipping her head back and forth. Now she didn't care about swallowing the slagging human anymore, she just wanted her _out. _She was digging her tiny fingers into the tender rings holding her dentals in place, trying her hardest to claw them out.

The subtle vibrating turned into an all out quake. Bloodstar finally stepped, wild, enraged optics tilting down as she felt the sands begin to rise. She caught a glimpse of white before something emerged directly beneath her and slammed into her gut. The wind rushed out of Bloodstar and the ground left her as she was thrown up from the attack, twisting sharply and flapping her damaged wings in an attempt to catch air.

Her attacker kept rising, propelled high into the air. A mouth full of sharp, lethal dentals sank into her wing and ripped her back down to slam into the ground. Pain and shock crashed through Bloodstar as she slumped down, stunned. Her jaws fell open, and the human tumbled out, undamaged outside of a few new scrapes and bruises.

A shadow fell over her. The air filled with a heavy silence as the human sank down in the sand, worn out from trying to keep from being swallowed. Bloodstar breathed quietly, then chuckled darkly.

"Lunar," She whispered, "I was wondering when I'd see you again, my sweet sparkling."

There was a beat of quiet, then a cold voice responded, "I am not your sparkling."

* * *

><p><strong>...Yep. <strong>

**Sundance and her family, friends, Bloodstar and her sisters, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70**

Ash was stunned.

Her body was trying to recover from the shock of what had happened. Her head was reeling, and for a moment she forgot where she was. Flashes of red and black, of shouting something that she knew would probably get her killed. Claws. Teeth. Snarls. Roars. Shouts. Smoke and fire. A plated tongue. Surprisingly soft alloys inside the mouth of the dragon. Red dentals. Suddenly, she remembered.

_Oh...My...God..._Ash shuddered, clenching her hands in the sand, _I was in her MOUTH. _She groaned, pushing herself up, "Shit, shit, shit..." She shuddered again when she remembered the way her finger nails sank into her 'gums', how squishy every thing was inside. "Oh, God." She wrapped an arm around her torso, "I'm going to heave."

She nearly jumped when sand shifted beside her. Her eyes flew towards the area and widened. There was a giant, armored white hand there, with long white claws that were caked in energon and faint speckles of blood. Ash went rigid, her first thought being that the _other _dragons had come back. She prepared herself to start screaming and cussing again, but stopped when the head of the seeker lowered to press a warm nose against her chest.

Then, so painfully familiar, a voice said, "On your feet, Ash."

Ash's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she stared at the dragon's face. She wasn't looking at Ash, both optics firmly set on the bitch that had tried to eat her. Ash leaned forward, raising a trembling hand to press to the femme's heavily scarred face plates. She whispered, "S-Sunny?!"

"I should have known that you two were connected," The decepticon muttered, "why you autobots waste such time over these insignificant creatures will always be a mystery to me."

_It's her. _Ash's heart began to pound. The back of her throat began to swell up with pain like she was about to start bawling. Her arms shook harder, and suddenly, her savior was the only thing she could see. She repeated, her voice raising and then breaking, "_Sundance_?"

Red optics slid from the decepticon to her, and Ash knew. She was held still by her gaze, and all she could do was sit there and shake and try her hardest not to cry. Ash clenched her fingers around Sundance's cheek plates then leaned into her, resting her face against her warm armor. "It's you."

"Yes." Sundance shifted closer, curling her body slightly to put more armor between Ash and the decepticon, who was slowly getting to her feet. Sundance whispered, voice just as soft and broken as Ash's, "you have to let me go, Ash. I must finish this."

"No." Was her automatic answer. She felt Sundance's lip plates lift slightly in a small smile.

"Be strong, Ash."

Ash's hands clenched tighter, every inch of her being from her bones to her soul refusing to let her go. She screwed her eyes shut, half determined to hold Sundance right there. Sundance let her, though she could feel that the femme was growing tense.

"You're wounded." Sundance said abruptly.

Ash opened her eyes and blinked owlishly at her, then bit back a wince when Sundance lowered her head an inch to prod at a growing spot of red on her white tank top. Ash went rigid and looked down at it, pressing her fingers to it. The pain was just now seeping into her, and she turned back to Sundance, "She tried to eat me."

Sundance's expression shifted. Her scratched, smashed face plates lifted into one of the ugliest snarls Ash had ever seen, and she abruptly moved, pulling from Ash's arms to turn hell-fire red optics on the decepticon who was shaking her head like she was trying to clear away dizziness. Ash moved back, ducking her head a little when Sundance positioned her body around her like a living, lethal shield.

Sundance started kneading the sand beneath her and she slung her body low and roared, "_Bloodstar_!" Ash jumped at her tone, looking at her with wide eyes.

The decepticon snapped to attention, glaring back. Sundance rolled her powerful shoulders and raised her head, "Your trine is dead, no one is coming to save you. You are completely surrounded by autobots. Do you yield?"

Bloodstar tilted her head slightly before she threw her head back, entire body shaking with laughter. When she was done she slipped down into a crouch, entire body held low. She grinned wickedly at Sundance, "You still call yourself an autobot? After _everything _you've done? You might as well destroy _yourself, _dear one. In all honesty, you are _no _better than me, and you _know _it."

"_Do you yield?"_ Sundance repeated forcefully.

The grin seemed to grow on the decepticon's face, completely sinister. She took a slow, predatory step forward, "I never yield, love."

"Good," Sundance said.

Bloodstar tensed, her grin turning into a sharp sneer and her optics squinting. She cracked her jaws to speak, but Sundance had already lunged forward, white jaws spread wide. Ash stared, paralyzed as the two dragons fought, individual femmes disappearing in a blur of red, black, and white. They moved so quickly, spiraling around one another in an attempt to constrict, snapping powerful jaws and butting heads so hard it sounded like punches of thunder.

"ASH!"

Ash jumped, then twisted sharply to stare at the line of autobots that were growing. Many of them were walking to form a loose circle around the battling dragons in case one tried to escape, but Demona and Jolt stayed posted by the door way, intense optics fixed on the fight. The red femme was currently kneeling, one hand wrapped tight around Ash's parents who were reaching for her desperately.

Ash dropped and covered her head when a tail swept over her head, then she rolled shakily to her feet and ran towards them. She pressed one hand to the slash on her side, glancing back and forth between the two femmes as she went. Armor was being shed now, thick plates of black and white hitting the sand in mass followed by thick streams of energon.

She was forced to stop again when Bloodstar rolled past with a shriek. Sundance was right on top of her ass, rushing after her with her powerful tail held stiff behind her for balance. The decepticon screamed a second later. Ash glanced in their direction in time to see Sundance crunch her jaws over the other femme's horns, immediately snapping one of them off. The horn flew through the air to bury itself, point up, in the sand at Optimus' big feet.

Ash looked back at her parents when her mother started screaming profanities. Demona was handing both of them off to Jolt and was now focused on Ash. Ash got to her feet and kept going. Demona was starting towards her, running right into the fray as the dragons twisted and turned, stumbling right back into the center of the make-shift ring the autobots had formed.

_Almost there..._Ash sucked in a sharp breath of air, then pulled off a big jump to the side when Bloodstar's jaws abruptly snapped at her. Ash couldn't catch herself and ended up falling on her ass in the sand. Bloodstar leaned closer, burning optics fixed on her, teeth dripping with energon. Ash went rigid, scooting back.

Sundance came to her rescue again, her tail cracking across Bloodstar's face like a whip to knock her sideways while the white femme clenched her jaws around one of her wings and wrenched it from her body. Bloodstar began to scream.

Ash started shaking again, fixed on the battle as the decepticon tried to throw Sundance, but the later had locked her claws into her armor and was hanging on. Ash didn't even look up when Demona dropped beside her and slipped her fingers around her. She raised Ash to her chest plates then pivoted to rush back to the side lines, crouching back down beside Jolt and lowering her hands enough to let Rex and Shark scramble up. In a matter of seconds, Ash was squished between the two as they wrapped their arms around her and squeezed her so tight she could hardly breathe.

But she didn't care. She kept watching.

Bloodstar was down to one wing and one horn, several plates of armor along her back and left side had been completely ripped off. Torn tubes and cables hung out of the bare patches on her body and leaked energon while damaged wiring sparked. She leaped away from Sundance and brought her body low to stalk. Sundance mirrored her, and for a moment, it was quiet.

Ash realized that Sundance was missing both wings and one of her horns, with the other almost dangling from her head. Armor up her neck and down her tail was missing, and plates on both sides were bashed down like Ironhide had pounded her into the ground with his fists. There was also a piece of chest armor missing, though her spark was completely exposed.

Both femmes were quickly becoming soaked in energon, and the sand at their feet was beginning to wet down and stick to their bodies. Ash held her breath as they circled. The way how the watched each other, rolling their shoulders with every step and keeping their bodies tense for attack. it all made her think of The Lion King, of _all things, _during the confrontation between Scar and Simba.

Ash shook herself, _Goddammit, stop thinking about Disney movies!_ She huffed to herself, eyes darting back and forth between dragons. Rex leaned forward, squinting against the sun, "Shit, I can't tell! Demi, who's winning?"

"I...I don't know," Demona said softly.

"Fuck, I can't even see them when they fight," He muttered, "how the hell can they be so fast?"

"Rex, shut up!" Shark hissed. When he looked at her, she pulled Ash closer and whispered, "Listen! They're talking again!"

"God, Sunny," Ash breathed, "_please _kick her ass!"

* * *

><p>Sundance glared at her opponent, every part of her body tuned into the femme. She never took her optics away, completely ignoring the big crowd they'd gained over the past few minutes. She knew without looking that the autobots had them surrounded, and she also knew that the mechs and femmes assembled would jump in if one of them tried to escape or was offlined.<p>

"I've been waiting for this," Bloodstar said softly, "tell me, did it phase you when you watched my sisters offline?"

"No," Sundance said honestly, "you all had it coming."

Bloodstar's lip plates lifted, "You call yourself an _autobot."_

"I can't forget what I've done," Sundance snarled, rage filling her spark, "I can never take it back or fix it, but I _can _kill you, so you'll never ruin another life again."

Bloodstar stopped walking. Sundance stopped as well. The two stilled, watching each other carefully, waiting for someone to make a move. The decepticon challenged, "And what about the lives _you _ruined?"

"I will accept my punishment when the time comes," Sundance said.

"You murdered my trine."

"You destroyed my life, threatened my family."

They started walking again. Bloodstar chuckled weakly, "I feel my spark growing weaker with every minute. I have lost everything, and now I fill my spark with hate...Tell me. Do you know what it's like to lose your family?"

Sundance's face plates lifted into a snarl, "You made me forget my own brothers, my creators, and I _still _can't feel them. Don't talk to me about _losing family_, Bloodstar. Because of you, I may never feel the light of their sparks again."

Bloodstar laughed, "Good to know that I've caused _some _trouble for you, then. How long did it take you to scrub the blood from your mouth?"

"Not long," Sundance said coolly. She added, just to piss the femme off, "not after I washed it clean with the energon of your trine."

Bloodstar went rigid. Sundance hissed, "Paybacks a bitch, isn't it?"

The decepticon turned and rushed her. Sundance held her ground until the last second, pushing off the earth hard to jump over the femme. She landed and pivoted, ducking beneath a swinging tail to bite down and tear at her thigh. Her sharp teeth stripped armor then tore cables. Bloodstar swung around and countered, butting her hard in the chest to send her backwards. Before Sundance could recover, Bloodstar had her teeth in her helm and was yanking her forward.

Sundance hit the ground, writhing sharply as Bloodstar started to shake her, dragging her body across the sand. Sundance scrambled, spark seizing with panic. Her claws clenched at the sands but could find no solid hold, so she started to blindly swing the energon blade on her tail. After the third or fourth try, she struck home and buried it deep in Bloodstar's chest armor. Sundance was dropped immediately.

Both femmes took time to regroup. Sundance winced when Bloodstar promptly cut off the tip of her tail, leaving the blade stuck deep in her armor like a massive thorn. The decepticon staggered away a few steps, out of biting range. Sundance got her feet beneath her, but stayed on the ground. She couldn't think or see straight, the world was spinning around her. She felt light headed, and the places where Bloodstar's teeth had held her skull throbbed.

Sundance tried to push herself back up, sensing that Bloodstar was about to come back for another round. The ground shifted beneath her and she almost fell again. _Primus. _She vented harshly. She blinked when she felt someone tug at her spark, and she tilted her head just enough to gaze at her creators. Her spark brightened.

Demona and Jolt were both there, watching her like she was the only thing they could see. Even from this far, she could see everything they were feeling through their optics. Love. Pain. Fear. Desperation. Anger. There was another tug, and Sundance straightened up just in time to avoid having her head lopped off by Bloodstar's spaded tail. She shook off the dizziness, turning to face her opponent when her father's voice echoed in her spark, _'Keep trying, sweetspark. You are strong enough, you have always been strong.'_

"I'm trying, daddy," She whispered. She attempted to reach back to him, to cross the miles and miles of space between them, but she couldn't make it. She tried her mother next, then her brothers when it failed. She couldn't touch any of them.

"You're slowing down," Bloodstar spat, pulling her from her thoughts.

Sundance snorted loudly, "So are you."

"You're going to offline here," Bloodstar swore, "I'm going to rip your spark out in front of your precious friends and family."

"Go ahead," Sundance said, chuckling, "that will give my creators an excuse to rip you apart themselves."

Bloodstar coiled and threw herself at her. Sundance shifted back, turning her frame sideways. The seeker slammed into her hard enough to make her legs give out beneath her. Sundance struggled to stand back up, but gave in when she felt teeth slice through the exposed cables on her neck. Energon began to bleed out, she could feel it running down her throat. Claws dug deep into her back armor, wrenching more of it off. The femme's weight nearly pinned her to the ground, but she summoned what strength she had left and stood again. She started to step from side to side, trying to throw the decepticon off before she pierced her main line.

Bloodstar held on, biting deeper. Sundance vented heavily when she realized the slagging femme wasn't going anywhere. She changed tactics, holding her body still as she activated different routines. Her armor lifted beneath Bloodstar's body, then began to spin rapidly like it would when she was burrowing.

The seeker screamed when the spinning plates cut her claws off and ripped most of her teeth out of her head. She dropped from Sundance's back and piled on the ground. Sundance moved away from her, putting as much distance between them as she could without trampling an autobot. She leaned to one side, head held low as her wound kept bleeding out. Her armor stopped spinning, settling back into place. _I need to end this, _She thought, _if she gets another hold on me like that, I'm finished._

Bloodstar was twisting painfully, claw-less hands raised to clench at her leaking jaws. She abruptly whipped around, shouting, "Lunar Song!"

Sundance lifted trembling lip plates, glaring at the seeker with squinted optics, "That is _not _my name!"

Bloodstar started to laugh, the sound coming our harsh and humorless, "No matter what you do to me, I've _won _this battle!"

"You're the one missing teeth," Sundance reminded.

"I see it now!" Bloodstar's grin grew wicked, stretching as far as it could across her face to show a mostly empty mouth, "Whatever happens to me, I, my trine, what we _do, _it all lives in _you!_"

Sundance tensed, raising her head a foot or so. Bloodstar kept going between hysterical giggles, "I was the one that _changed _you, I was the one that _brought _this darkness out! I made you a _better _warrior! A sparkless killer! You will _always _be my creation, no matter where you come from, or who you were! Because _I _made you into this!"

Sundance's spark tensed, spinning with rage and pulsing with realization. Her optics were slightly widened, locked on her. Bloodstar tilted her head up to gaze at the sky, "You will _always _be _my_ precious Lunar Song!"

Sundance stilled. The words struck her like a blow to the head, and she could do nothing but stare as Bloodstar fell back to all fours and started to limp towards her. The seeker kept talking, though her voice was lower, "How many humans did you kill and swallow? How many times did you threaten Demona and rip her down like she was nothing more than some lowly animal?"

Sundance stepped back.

"How hard was it to kill my sisters and then feast on their bodies? You are _mine, my _spark, _my _processor, _my _ruthlessness. _My _child, _my _sparkling."

Sundance took another step. Bloodstar lowered her head so they were optic level, "Go ahead and tell them, dear one, of how you ripped Jetfire from the sky and let him fall to his offlining below. How you stood aside and _let _my sisters tear him apart from the inside out and drink his energon while it was still hot from coursing through his body. Tell them how he reached for you, whispered your name with his final breath, believing deep in his spark that you would wake up and save him." When Sundance said nothing, Bloodstar stopped and ordered, "Tell them!"

Sundance wanted to run. Bloodstar's words crushed her spark like a fist, and suddenly she was weak and vulnerable. All of her bravery, all of her rage and hate, drained out of her. She didn't move to avoid when Bloodstar made her attack, gliding forward with long strides that carried her across the base between them in a few steps. Sundance's feet slid through the sand as she felt the brunt of Bloodstar's remaining horn deep in her side where she head butted her. The autobots on the other side of her body jumped back to avoid being struck as Bloodstar pushed her.

Sundance's legs gave and she collapsed. She felt what remained of Bloodstar's claws clamping down on her side, tearing armor and sinking into what was beneath. Bloodstar curved her neck downward to bite down on her neck again, but reared back when the ground began to shake. A deafening roar filled the air as Grimlock charged forward, lowering his head and shoving it against Bloodstar's chest then pushing up to send her entire body flipping through the air. He stood right beside Sundance, leaning down over her body with his cold blue optics fixed on the decepticon. He shifted his weight and roared a second time, daring Bloodstar to attack again.

* * *

><p><strong>So I kinda of went crazy last night and wrote like three chapters, one right after another. I may throw another one up tonight. <strong>

**The first part where Ash reacted when she realized that it was Sundance that had saved her...I don't know. I was trying to think of how two best friends would react after being separated like that, and then it was like I wasn't writing Sundance and Ash, but more of myself and the friend I just lost in a car accident. I really loved her and I really miss her, like Ash did Sundance, and I realized that the first thing I'd do is hug her. so that's what I had Ash do.**

**You know, in case anyone was ever wondering if I just pulled this shit out of thin air or if I actually put some meaning behind it.**

**Anyway, tell me what you think. Much love to you all. You guys are really awesome.**

**Sundance and her friends and family, Bloodstar and her trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71**

"Sundance! No!" Ash shouted, eyes wide and fists clenched in fear as the femme kept backing away, a look of complete, spark-wrenching fear and pain on her face as Bloodstar pushed her back. She ripped her eyes away long enough to glare at Jolt and Demona, "_Do something!"_

Demona was crouching low, like a predator that was prepared to strike. Her shoulders were tense and her hands were shaped into claws, optics glowing a vivid crimson with her rage. Jolt was almost mirroring her perfectly, though he seemed to keep his emotions in check more than Demona. Both of them phsyically jolted when Bloodstar hit Sundance. Ash turned back to her, leaning as far as she could from her parents to see.

She reached out to Sundance like she could touch her, heart hammering when Bloodstar knocked her flat on her side and quickly climbed over her. Claws wrenched back armor, what was left of her dentals flashed in the sunlight. She was about to reach down and finish Sundance when that big ass dinosaur came thundering out of _no where, _all rage and roar as he slammed into her and sent her flying through the air like she was nothing but a toy. He then posted himself over the fallen dragon, turning his side out towards the open like Sundance did with Ash or the sparklings when she was guarding them. A bit of relief filled Ash when she realized that he was protecting Sundance, that he was keeping her safe.

The moment Grimlock's interference sank in, all hell broke loose. Before Ash could blink, Demona was also rushing into the fray. And before Ash or her parents could speak a word,they had been set on the ground and Jolt was close behind the red femme. Ironhide stepped out of place and planted a huge fist against Bloodstar's side when she started to spin towards him, knocking her in the other direction like she was a volleyball. Jazz moved in next, climbing up the huge mech's side like he was a jungle gym to spring off his shoulders and bitch-smack her so she flew faster through the air.

When Bloodstar passed over Demona, the red femme crouched down then shoved off the ground to wrap a fist around her remaining wing. She brought Bloodstar crashing down, then spun sharply to step up her shoulder. Her hands let go of the wing to grip Bloodstar's jaws tightly. With one twist, Demona pulled them apart, separating the lower jaw completely to toss it behind her. Bloodstar was screaming, writhing in energon soaked sand. Her tongue and a few small tubes hung limply from her jawless head. Demona, still gripping her head, yanked her back, ripped her remaining horn from her head. Then Demona slid down her side and hauled her body forward to lift Bloodstar from the ground and flipped her over.

Bloodstar finally managed to get to her feet, though she was dazed and obviously in pain as she staggered pathetically to one side. Jolt was there in a heart beat, raising his clenched fist to punch. At the last minute, the point of the whip on his wrist extended, and his entire body began to spark with electricity that didn't seem to hurt him. He plunged his whole fist into Bloodstar's chest.

The decepticon's entire body began to shake, smoke rising from her frame and the scent of burning decepticon filled the air. She screamed for a second or two before she completely collapsed, lifeless, at his feet.

Ash let out a slow breath when the pair straightened above their kill. She could feel someone trembling against her, and realized that it was her father who was staring with wide eyes. He said, "What the _fuck_ was all of that? She deserved to suffer, but _damn_!"

"She hurt their baby," Shark whispered, "like you would have done anything less if Ash was hurt like that."

"Sundance," Ash whispered, climbing to her feet. This time, her parents let her go, watching her carefully as she stumbled forward. The autobots broke the circle, breaking into groups that either surrounded the two fallen dragons or hurried back to base to start repairs. Demona and Jolt were the first one at Sundance's side, leaning down over her. Ash started towards them, hand still pressed to her injury.

* * *

><p>Sundance stared, unseeing, at the feet of autobots as they surrounded her. Grimlock was there, leaning down over her to press his nose against her chest plates. Yet, Sundance couldn't bring herself to look or even speak to him. Arms appeared around her torso, strong arms that she knew deep in her spark. The pain and rage and sorrow began to melt away when her father pulled her to him, lifting her long body to his lap to press her to his chest.<p>

Sundance let her neck drape over his shoulder, then blinked slowly when a set of hands pressed to her scarred cheek plates. Someone was pulling at her spark, desperate to reach her. She managed to focus on the familiar red optics of her mother, and whispered, "I know you...mother..."

Demona smiled weakly, stroking her face with her fingers. Sundance tried to pull back, once again reaching through the vast distance between them. But she still couldn't make it. She stretched as far as she could, then begin to pull back when she realized she couldn't do it. But her mother felt her try, and met her half way.

Their bond burned open, searing Sundance's spark. She shuttered her optics as clear, loud, beautiful emotion filled her. She could feel her mother's fear, her relief and her _love._ Sundance sank into it. _Primus, I missed this. _Her optics opened when she heard a familiar baritone giving orders. She focused on Optimus next as he knelt down between Demona and Jolt. Sundance's lip plates trembled, and she started, "I did not know what I was doing. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I didn't mean to hurt humans, or...or mother or Jetfire. I could not see and I could not hear. I wasn't there."

"I know, youngling," Optimus said, looking at Jolt as he shifted Sundance in his arms enough to start patching her wounds. His optics raised to Grimlock, who was still standing guard over Sundance. The thought eased her troubled processor. He told the dinobot, "Tell me everything, Grimlock, from the time you found her up until now."

The huge mech began to speak, his heavy voice filling the air. She couldn't hear anything but Grimlock. Not until a little voice screamed her name. Sundance tensed, becoming aware in an instant when she felt her brothers. She lifted her head, forcing her father to stop repairs, and fixed red optics on Flashback as he stumbled towards her with Backlash in his arms. He was practically racing Ash to get to her, with both sparklings trailing close behind.

She smiled, lowering her head. She shuttered her optics as Flashback's arms slapped over her nose. Backlash climbed up her face to start chattering and patting her face plates. Flashback's armor scraped her nose when Ash practically shoved him out of the way and slung her arms over her. Sundance let them crowd around her. Grimlock paused in his explanation to watch. Jolt shifted her again and finished repairing the wound he was prodding at. Demona ran a hand down Sundance's neck. Ironhide reached down to say something, patting her on the shoulder, Jazz right beside him.

Sundance started humming softly, sinking into it all gratefully. She let her self fade with a smile.

* * *

><p><strong>At first I was like, "Grimlock should eat her." Then I was like, "No, Dem and Jolt should do it." And then I was like, "Oh hell, just throw everyone in there." Hence Ironhide's punch and Jazz's bitchslap. <strong>

**Anyway, this chapter came out short and funny, but I was writing it at like one in the morning...yeaaaaah...**

**Much love. **

**Sundance and her family, friends, Bloodstar and her trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72**

Sundance onlined slowly, blinking as artificial light filled her vision. She simply laid there for a moment, processor working to remember everything that had happened before she slipped into recharge. Rushing back to base, facing Bloodstar. Reuniting with her family. She slid her optics over the room. _I'm home. _She shuttered them again, and shifted. She tensed when something brushed her armor then clutched at her chest. Sundance lifted her head and looked down, then smiled.

Flashback was curled up in a little ball of sparkling, pressed between her arms. Backlash was sitting up, one hand raised to her chest plates, bright, wide optics fixed on her. When she met his gaze, he smiled at her. Backlash raised his arms to her in a 'pick me up' motion. Sundance lowered her head and gently rested the tip of her nose against his chest. He started whirring and chirping happily, and he reached through the bond to touch her. Like she had with her mother, Sundance met him half way. She tensed slightly as their bond seared open. He filled her with happy feelings, with love and excitement, relief and joy. He was _so _happy that she was home again.

"I missed you," Sundance whispered, shuttering her optics.

He hugged her for a long minute before letting her go to turn and reach for the door eagerly. It was then that she realized she was in her parent's quarters. The door slid open, and Sundance lifted her head to look at their mother.

Demona just stood in the doorway for a moment, like she couldn't quite believe that Sundance was there. She stepped inside, asking quietly, "How long have you been online?"

"Just a few minutes." Sundance paused and looked back down with Backlash started patting her armor with his tiny hands. He was looking up at her again, optics squinted into happy little half'-circles as he smiled.

"They wouldn't leave your side," Demona said softly, approaching, "they've been there the entire time you were in recharge."

"How long?"

"Almost three days." Demona settled on the berth beside her and lowered a hand to rest against her shoulder, "I knew you'd come back to us, somehow."

"I almost didn't," Sundance answered, looking down at her claws, "I...I don't know how, but I woke up. I think...seeing Jetfire...helped."

She raised her optics to her creator when she curled her fingers beneath her jaw and lifted her face. Demona said quietly, "Sweetspark, Jetfire is online."

Sundance's optics widened, her spark seemed to stop in her chest. Demona kept speaking, "Your father and I found him before he offlined, and we've been working day and night to keep him online."

"He's...alive?"

She nodded.

Sundance's spark squeezed, filling with hope. She nearly fell off the berth when her mother added, "Ratchet thinks he'll be fully online and functional in a few days."

"I...I don't believe it."

"You should know more than anyone else how tough he is," Demona said, raising an optic ridge, "with all of those wild stories he's been feeding you."

"I love his stories," Sundance defended lightly, optics unfocused as the gravity of the words hit her. _Primus. _She shuttered her optics, swallowing thickly. _He's alive. _She tried to wrap her processor around it, her spark nearly sang.

Demona smiled, "I know, sparkling."

Sundance paused, processor abruptly turning to Ash. The girl had been wounded, she remembered. She focused back on her mother, "What about Ash?"

"She's been arguing with everyone, trying to get in here to see you. She's already beginning to heal, most of her bruises have faded from Springtown."

Sundance vented with relief, lifting her head from her mother's hand. She laughed softly, the sound coming out light and carefree. Everyone was okay. Everyone was alive.

Demona watched her for a second, then whispered, "I missed you, Sundance. Those slagging seekers took my spark with them when they took you away from us."

Sundance focused on her, seeing the pain in her optics. "You were so far," Demona kept going, "I...I couldn't reach you. I couldn't save you."

Sundance leaned forward and pressed her face into the older femme's chest plates, "I missed you, too, mother." She shuttered her optics, leaning further into her, "I'm home now. They can't tear us apart again."

Sundance sank into her mother's arms, cherishing the warm strength in her embrace. A few long minutes passed before Demona began, her voice a little stronger, "Ironhide has been bugging the pit out of Jolt to bring you to his shop for your armor."

Sundance blinked, then pulled back to raise an optic ridge at her, "He made me new armor in _three _days?"

"He's been working on a complete set since we brought you home from the Hunters' territory," Demona said. She paused when Flashback rolled over to press his face into Sundance's armor, then continued, "...When you were taken, he spent what free time he had finishing it."

Sundance's spark squeezed. "He..."

"I think it kept him distracted."

Sundance vented, "I...I'm sorry."

"Don't be, sweetspark. You came back to us, thats all that matters." Demona lowered a hand to run a finger over Backlash's back when he started up with his sparkling nonsense. "Are you strong enough to walk?"

Sundance tensed her legs then nodded when she felt nothing worse than a little soreness. Demona stood, scooping up both sparklings and stepping away to give Sundance enough room to slide down from the berth. Sundance straightened slowly, feeling a tightness in her neck and sides from the new welds there. She asked suddenly, "Why am I not in the med bay?"

"Because we didn't want anyone bothering you. We brought you in here after the fourth or fifth time Grimlock fought his way in. Ratchet had a fit when he broke the door to stand guard over you."

Sundance tensed, "He _what_?"

"Broke the door." Demona repeated.

Sundance vented sharply, "Primus, that mech."

Demona paused, raising an optic ridge at her, "He seems to be attached to you."

"He may or may not have expressed interest," Sundance said, wincing slightly, "we may or may not have cuddled in recharge."

Demona stopped just short of reaching the door to focus both optics on her. Her optic ridges rose so high they seemed to vanish beneath her helm. Sundance suddenly felt like she was a sparkling again, caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. She said quickly, "He's different than I thought. He actually thinks about something other than himself and his soldiers-he stayed with me and helped me, he helped me take out Darkfire and Havoc, and he kept me sane-" Sundance vented mid-sentence when she realized she was defending Grimlock.

She pointed her nose down to glare at her claws, "_Primus._"

"Sundance."

Sundance lifted her optics to her mother hesitantly. She said, "I didn't expect or want this to happen, mother, I couldn't stop it. He just...I don't know. He's a big dumb brute, but he's something else, too."

Demona studied her for a moment before saying, "Don't tell your father this."

Sundance blinked. Demona vented softly, "Not yet. I've already had to stop him from attacking Grimlock twice when he wouldn't leave you alone."

Sundance tensed. Demona faced forward again, "Lets get your armor."

Sundance followed her out of the room and walked alongside her down the long hallway. Anyone hanging around outside immediately stopped to watch when she passed them. Sundance felt their stares burning into her relentlessly, and she tensed beneath them. She was tempted to turn and snarl or run or stare back, but looked to her creator instead. Demona walked with calm, even steps, optics forward and almost expressionless. Her shoulders were raised, her back was straight.

Sundance found herself wondering just how many times _she _had gone through these hallways with autobots staring her down, watching her like she would turn and attack them at any moment. Sundance mirrored her, raising her head and keeping her optics ahead. _Let them stare, _she thought, _everything's alright. I'm home. Jetfire is online. Ash is okay. I'm with my family again. The seekers are gone._

Despite her thoughts and the steady support Demona offered by walking beside her, the walk to Ironhide's work room was one of the longest walks she'd ever made, and she was glad when it was over. She had to force herself to step calmly into the room when all she wanted to do was dart inside to escape everyone.

"Youngling?" A voice started, surprised.

Sundance turned to focus on Ironhide, who looked like he was in the middle of an argument with a rather flustered looking Wheeljack. The two mechs stared at her with wide blue optics, shocked. Sundance managed a small smile, "Hey, 'Hide," she nodded in the other mech's direction, "Wheeljack."

Wheeljack dropped whatever he'd been holding, the object clattering across the floor loudly. It snapped Ironhide out of his trance, and he barked an insult or two at the inventor before starting towards Sundance. "I didn't expect you to be awake for another day," he said, "Primus, Sundance!"

Sundance blinked when he stopped to curl a huge hand beneath her jaw and turn her face to look at the massive scars beneath her optics, "If you _ever _do this again-"

Sundance grinned, "Aw, 'Hide, were you _worried_ about me? You were, weren't you?"

He dropped his hand and grunted, "You haven't changed."

Sundance tensed slightly, smashing down the tiny voice in her head that reminded her just how _much _she had changed. Her grin weakened, and he noticed it. Before he could say anything, Demona lowered a hand to brush her fingers down Sundance's remaining, cracked horn, "Jolt said that you had finished her armor."

Without a word, he headed towards the large shelf in the corner of the room, the same one Sundance had scaled as a sparkling hundreds of times to pounce on him. She watched him for a moment as he began to pull out plates of new, shiny rose red armor. He set them down on the table behind him, then turned to gather more. Sundance watched him for a moment before looking at Wheeljack when he scurried over to crouch down in front of her. He smiled warmly, "How are you feeling, Sundance?"

"Better," Sundance answered, stretching her neck to touch her nose to his shoulder in greeting.

He hesitated, then said, sounding worried, "You don't look better."

"I'm still tired," Sundance admitted, "and I'm worried about Jetfire."

"You know he's alright, don't you?"

"Yes." Sundance's optics softened.

He tilted his head slightly, then asked suddenly, "What happened to your horns?"

Sundance's gaze darkened a little, the question bringing back painful memories. She remembered the moment she'd woken, when she had realized all the things she had done. Her self-loathing, her rage and pain and sorrow that built up inside her to tear her apart like a tidal wave. How she could do nothing but shake, until it was too much. Smashing her head against the ground in punishment.

"I don't know," She said softly, optics focusing on him again, "they must have been broken off in battle."

"So you really took out the other seekers yourself?"

"With Grimlock's help," Sundance nodded.

His gaze brightened with new questions, and he started to lean forward to ask. Ironhide cut him off, stepping forward with a handful of the new armor in his hands. Sundance held her breath, optics focusing on the thick plates. "Everything is here," He set the armor down on the table closest to them then started towards the door, grabbing Wheeljack on the way, "we'll wait outside until you're through."

Sundance leaned back on her haunches when the doors slid shut behind them, sitting down to curl the claws of one hand around the main part of the new helm. The artificial light glinted across the smooth surface of elegantly curved horns. Demona started sliding off her old armor, starting with her repaired tail. Sundance started to help her shortly after, spark oddly quiet as she shed Lunar Song's image to replace it with her own.

* * *

><p>"God, this is driving me nuts." Ash hissed, pacing.<p>

"Shit, Ash, you're going to burn holes in the floor if you keep that up," Shark muttered.

"Why won't they let me see her?" Ash demanded, glaring at the doorway. During the three days Sundance had been home, she'd only gotten to see the dragon once or twice, and it was only for a short time. Between Grimlock's constant invasions and Demona and Jolt being overprotective, she'd barely gotten inside. And she hated it.

"I don't know, but you need to calm down and chill out for a while," Rex added, "you're gonna wear yourself out, baby."

"It doesn't make any sense! They _know _that I have to see her..." Ash trailed off, pausing when Critter raised a hand to push through his hair, having woken up from a pain-killer induced nap a few minutes ago. His eyelids looked heavy, but when he spoke, he did so clearly.

"Maybe they're afraid," He said.

Everyone stopped to look at him. Ash demanded, "Why? Why the hell would they be afraid of her?"

"Because she changed." He met her harsh gaze easily, "Everyone was afraid of Demona when she came back from her killing spree. They just have to trust her again."

"They should trust her now," Ash continued pacing, "she _did _come back and _save _my life!"

"She killed people," One of the other survivors said in a hushed voice, "she ate my brother right in front of me."

Ash whirled to face the man, "That _wasn't _Sundance."

"She's a monster, just like the others. All of those fucking dragons deserve to burn."

"Your face is about to be eating my fist," Ash warned, "shut the hell up. You don't know _anything _about her."

"She's one of them!"

Ash started forward to pummel him but Rex popped up real quick and looped an arm around her, "Whoa, whoa, _whoa_!"

"Say it again! I dare you!" Ash challenged, pulling against her father's arms to shake her fist at the guy who was staring at her like she was insane. Rex chuckled nervously, "alright, Ash, I think it's time you got some fresh air, baby."

Ash huffed, pausing to flip the guy off before she jerked free and stalked out of the infirmary. She cursed and muttered the entire walk outside. She snapped, "What an ass! God, if she didn't eat _me _when my ass was on the ground, she-" Ash quieted, stopping abruptly when the floor shook. Her eyes widened when Grimlock came stomping down the hallway, looking as pissed off as she was.

He was in his bot form this time, hulking body hunched forward with his shoulders all tense, massive hands clenched in fists that were bigger than a wrecking ball. Ash raised an eyebrow at him when she realized he was rumbling like she had been. She called, "They kicked your ass out too, huh, Chomper?"

Grimlock paused, one big foot in the air, to turn a masked face in her direction. She couldn't see his face, but she had a feeling that he was glaring. Ash turned her back on him and made her way outside. Once she was out in the open, she walked over a few dunes before she let herself fall back on her butt. She regretted it almost immediately when pain shot up her back and down her legs. She raised a hand to push through her hair, "Fuck it all."

She sat there seething and worrying in silence for what felt like hours before she heard the base doors slide open, then heavy yet quiet footsteps. A shadow fell over her, and Ash turned around to tell whoever it was to leave her alone. When she saw who it really was, her eyes widened and her heart nearly stopped.

Sundance tensed slightly, hesitant. Her crimson optics glowed a little brighter than they had when she'd returned, and her expression was much easier to read since her faceplates had been replaced. Ash realized that _every _piece of armor had been replaced, that Sundance was the same red she had been before all of this had happened. Her armor was new and shiny, but it seemed to make her heavier, like carrying it was a burden.

"Are you alright?" Sundance asked, breaking the tense silence in the air, "mom said that you were recovering."

"I'm fine," Ash answered quietly, still staring with wide eyes, "Are _you _alright?"

The femme vented sharply, walking forward a few more steps until they were within reach. She then laid down on her belly, wrapping her tail loosely around Ash, "I don't know."

Ash's heart squeezed, and she bit down on her tongue to keep from crying like a baby when the dragon abruptly turned her head and pressed her nose against her chest. Her heart broke when Sundance whispered, "I remember everything...I can't stop thinking about it."

Ash wrapped her harms around as much as her as she could. She rested her cheek against Sundance's warm nose, "It's alright, Sunny. None of it was your fault, you couldn't control what happened." She paused, closing her eyes, "none of us could."

"How did you escape?" The dragon asked, sounding curious, "I thought Havoc and Darkfire had picked Springtown clean."

"Um...I shot Bloodstar in the eye with a BB gun then called her a bitch and ran like hell until the autobots came."

Sundance's body went rigid, then began to shake with laughter. Ash grinned, tightening her hold on her face. Once her laughing died down to chuckles, she said, "Only _you _would stand up to a decepticon seeker with nothing more than a toy and an attitude."

"Hey, BB guns hurt like hell. And I'm not the only one. Dad said that mimi ripped up Skywarp with her bare hands." Ash defended.

Sundance opened her jaws to speak, but froze. Ash blinked, lifting her head to look at her, "Sunny?"

Sundance raised her head from Ash's arms to look up at the sky, red optics bright. Ash raised an eyebrow, but stopped from asking when she heard it, too. It was an oddly familiar sound, though she'd only heard it on TV, but she also looked up. A military issue chopper was lowering to the ground across the sands, the spinning blades sending up a cloud of gold around it. As soon as it landed, another came into range, descending to settle beside the first.

"What the hell?" Ash started, blinking.

Sundance coiled around her slightly in a protective way, watching the humans in uniform as they spilled out of the aircraft. A handful of men and a woman in crisp suits stepped down and brought an arm to their face to keep sand from getting in their eyes. They gathered in groups and started towards base with a purpose, heads high and backs straight.

"What the fuck is going on?" Ash asked, leaning around Sundance's chest to follow them when they stepped out of sight.

"I don't know," Sundance answered. She tensed like she was going to stand, and Ash hurriedly scrambled to her feet and climbed up her arm and shoulder to settle on the smooth spot on her back. She noticed that Sundance still didn't have wings. She almost asked why, but clamped her mouth shut when she felt the tension in the dragon's body.

Sundance waited until she was settled before she rose and started to walk back towards the huge buildings that made up base.

* * *

><p><strong>I read in some of your reviews that you wanted to see the conversation they had while Sundance was down. I considered writing it but I'd already gotten halfway through with this one. I may go ahead and type it up and post is as a one-shot in Reflections. <strong>

**So Sundance wakes up and visits Ironhide to get her new armor...then leaves to see Ash(and hopefully Jetfire after), and then we get some visitors...**

**Much love, hope you enjoyed it.**

**Sundance and her family and friends, Bloodstar's trine, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	73. Chapter 73

**Chapter 73**

"Optimus, is it really _safe _for her to roam free through base?"

"Sundance was created an autobot, Prowl."

"Yes, but she still has the programming of a decepticon. Ratchet said so himself while he was working repairs on her."

"She's shown no signs of any decepticon-like behavior."

"With all due respect, sir, she attacked Jetfire."

Optimus raised a hand to press to his face, processor aching. Prowl waited, watching him calmly though his body was tense. Ever since he'd caught sight of the femme walking down the halls with her creator, he had been wary. Autobot or not, a bot couldn't ignore his or her programming forever. At one point or another, she was going to lose her hold on her oath, and she was going to become a danger to them all. He was sure of it.

"We've already had this conversation, Prowl."

Prowl had to bite down to keep from venting. Instead, he said, "Yes, Prime."

"She can be impulsive, and she is very protective of her family, but she's a good soldier. I have watched her grow from sparkling to femme, and she has yet to truly disappoint me." Optimus paused, looking up when the doors to the communications room slid open with a sharp hiss. Jazz led a handful of humans into the room with a slight frown on his face. His visor was up, so the tension in his optics was visible. He met Optimus' gaze evenly, "We got company."

_This can't be good. _Optimus stamped down on the urge to vent, turning his attention down as the humans pushed forward. They were mostly dressed in dark suits, and the group was made up of women and men. A few soldiers hung back by the door with their backs straight and hands folded behind them, eyes forward. They looked tired and annoyed, but the ones in formal wear looked angry. He knew then that today was going to be a _long _day.

"Optimus Prime," One of the women started, stepping closer to him and clasping her hands in front of her, "We need to talk."

One of them men piped up, not bothering to hide the disdain in his tone, "About the monster you've taken in."

Prowl shifted, coming to stand beside Optimus rather than across from him. Jazz appeared on his other side, arms crossed over his chest and an optic ridge raised. "She's no monster," the smaller mech started, "Sundance is autobot at spark."

"Her latest actions would speak otherwise. A hundred and twenty people were slaughtered and..._eaten,_" The woman shuddered at the word, "it's come to our attention that one of the bots you keep here willingly participated in the massacre, and we have something to say about it."

Optimus knelt slowly, but before he could say a word, a third human cut in, "And before you speak, remember that you are _still _guests on this planet, and we _can _and _will _send you off if your existence here threatens us."

Optimus paused, then said, forcing the exhaustion from his voice, "I'm listening."

"Good." The woman clicked forward anther few steps and tilted her head back to look at him with narrowed eyes, "This 'Sundance' is a direct threat to us as long as she is here-"

"She's saved more lives as a sparklin' than you will your entire life," Jazz bit out, "if it wasn't for her, Galvatron would still be kickin', so would the other seekers that killed all those people."

"Jazz," Optimus said, "let them speak."

The woman was glaring at his lieutenant now, slim eyebrows scrunched down over sharp eyes. She started, slowly pulling her gaze back to Optimus. One of them men jumped in, "It doesn't matter! She's got the taste of blood in her mouth, she'll do it again! Something must be done about her."

Optimus' spark clenched with anger, and he leaned down, placing the knuckles of one fist on the floor, "It sounds like you're implying that she is an animal to be put down."

He hesitated, perhaps realizing that he may have crossed a line. Optimus continued, "I have known Sundance since she was created. I have watched her grow, and she has never shown hostility towards humans. What happened was completely out of her control, she was mortally wounded when the seekers took her and filled her processor with lies. She did not know any better. She is _not _an animal, and she would _never _willingly harm so many innocents."

"But she did." The woman cut in, "and even you can't deny it."

"Yes, but she wasn't in control of herself."

"Yeah," Another snarled, "because hearing that a forty foot long robot dragon 'is not in control of herself' makes things _so much _better."

Optimus turned his gaze to him, and he tensed up before turning his eyes away to glare at the wall.

"She has to go." The woman said sternly.

Optimus felt Jazz tense up beside him.

She continued, "If she was human, she'd be under our laws, and she would be executed or labeled insane and put in a padded room, but she is not. So it's _your _responsibility to make sure that something is done, whether it be exile or something else, but she _cannot _stay here."

Optimus said nothing. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily one him, and suddenly it was as if the entire world was against him. When he didn't respond right away, she added, "Either she goes, or you _all_ do. Do you understand, Optimus?"

"Yes."

She nodded, "You have three days. Make it worthwhile."

They all grouped together and filed back out in the same manner they had entered. Optimus watched them go, but couldn't quite see them. Once the doors closed behind him, he vented softly. Jazz clenched his fists, "This is slaggin' _bullshit. _What gives them the right to-"

"It's their planet," Prowl said, though he sounded just as bitter, "and we _are_ 'guests' on it."

"What do we do?" Jazz whispered, looking at Optimus when he stood up again, "What the frag to do we tell 'em?"

"I don't know," Optimus said honestly, sounding ages older than he really was.

"Dem and Jolt are gonna flip a lid," Jazz muttered, starting towards the door.

"I will tell Demona," Optimus replied, "Ratchet can tell Jolt. He's the only mech Jolt won't attack in defense of his family."

"And Sundance?" Jazz asked, optics sad, "who will tell her?"

Optimus met his gaze, but said nothing at first. His spark squeezed painfully. Elita and Solaris reached through their bonds to ask what was wrong. Demona reacted as well, reaching through to fill him with warm strength like she used to do when he was weakening in battle. He repeated, much more quieter, "I don't know."

"Why can't we fight for her?" Jazz stated suddenly, "she's one of _us, _she needs to stay here, with us. We have to fight for her."

"She would not want us to fight for her. You know that, Jazz."

He vented sharply and stalked towards the door.

* * *

><p>Ash's eyes were wide, staring at the big doors. She stood, shaking, before it. Sundance was a little further back because her hearing was sharper. The dragon was completely still, completely silent behind her. She had heard it, too.<p>

Ash clenched and unclenched her fists, the back of her throat swelling up as she repeated what she had heard of the conversation in her head. She could hardly hear the humans until the end, but Optimus' baritone tended to carry, even past massive, thick doors made of metal. She couldn't move, not even when she could hear the clack of the women's heels on the floor as they started towards the door.

Sundance finally shifted, gliding forward a step or two to tuck her nose against the back of Ash's legs and lift her up in the air to quickly carry her away so they wouldn't be caught eavesdropping. Ash had enough sense to grab at her horns and situate herself so she couldn't slide off of Sundance's head as she took off. She huddled down, squeezing her eyes shut as the dragon ran, moving faster with every passing moment like she couldn't stop. Soon bright sunlight was pouring across them, and she could feel a hot breeze.

Sundance didn't stop for several minutes, and though Ash had no idea where the hell they were going, she couldn't bring herself to care. Her heart was breaking. She gasped as he throat tightened, closing up on her as tears filled her. She nearly choked, cracking her eyes open when the sunlight was suddenly blocked out and Sundance finally slowed down to a quick walk.

They were inside some kind of old hangar that smelled like old trucks. Sundance brought them back to the back wall and nearly slammed herself against it. By then Ash was shaking so bad she could barely hold on, so she let go and let herself hit the ground. She clenched her teeth, and ground out, "No...no, no, no..."

"_Primus._"

Ash blinked slowly, coming out of it for a moment to turn her head to look at Sundance, who was staring at nothing with wide disbelieving optics. But as Ash watched, her face filled with pain, and the dragon leaned against the wall and sank down lifelessly. Her head hit the sand. Ash stared.

They both fell still, neither moving until Ash whispered, "You can't go. You can't." She got to her feet and walked towards her to drop beside her face. Ash bent her body over her, wrapping an arm around Sundance's face and resting the side of her face against her warm cheek plates. "I won't let you."

Sundance squeezed her optics shut, but said nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm horrible like that, but seriously...they'd jump on something like that without a thought.<strong>

**Much love. **

**Sundance and her family and friends, the seekers, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	74. Chapter 74

**Chapter 74**

"Please speak, youngling." Optimus said, watching Demona as she processed the news. The femme was standing almost ramrod straight, light red optics widened and staring but not quite focused. He could see nothing in her blank expression, and she didn't say anything, but she didn't need to. He could feel her reaction through their bond, and it nearly crushed him.

Demona was a chaotic mess of emotion. She was on the verge of an all-out rage, but there was a paralyzing fear and a great amount of confusion, too. She seemed to get lost in it, fading further and further away. He was beginning to worry, and he almost moved towards her until she whispered, "...'_exile'?_"

"...Yes."

Demona came back slowly, focusing on him. Her voice was so broken, soft and cracked, "They want us to _exile_ her?"

He nodded with a vent, "I had no part in this, Demona. They came in with a set mind and threatened to retract their welcome to all of us and use force if we did not do this."

In an instant, her moods changed. Her face plates rearranged into an expression of complete calm while her optics brightened to a blood-red, hardening in a glare that would send lesser mechs running. She hissed, "I will _not _let you send my daughter away!"

"Demona-"

"Slagging humans! If she were one of _them _they would find some way to let her live on earth!" Demona curled her hands into claws, "_They _can't decide what must be done!"

"I don't agree with them," Optimus said slowly, keeping his voice soft in an attempt to soothe her rising anger, "I tried to explain to them that Sundance was without choice, but they wouldn't listen to reason."

"So you're going to let them do it anyway?" When he didn't answer right away, she turned away from him and quickly paced away. Her footsteps were weighted, sounding heavy when she usually walked without making so much as a whisper. "Frag it all!" She snarled, "How _dare they! _Sundance saved more lives than she took by killing off those slagging seekers! _Primus! _If I EVER see their pit-spawned afts again-"

"Calm down, Demona."

"NO!" She whirled on him, "You _can't _ask me to do this!_I WILL NOT let you send my sparkling away!"_

Optimus' optics saddened, "I love Sundance, Demona. I would never willingly hurt her."

"And yet you're trying to EXILE her!" Demona's lip plates lifted into a snarl, "I _won't let you _take her from me, I _won't let you _send her away!"

He said nothing. Demona kept going, voice suddenly a harsh whisper, "Some fragging autobots. I thought you defended your own, but I'm beginning to see it now. I was wrong."

His expression hardened, "This was _not _our choice."

"Then _make it _your choice!" She shouted, "You're a Prime! Your word is above all of ours!"

He vented sharply, raising a hand to press to his face as his processor ache flared back up. "They've given us three days before they resort to trying to 'force' us out."

"Why won't you fight for her?" Demona said. Her voice broke, "You fought for me. Why won't you fight for my daughter?"

"Because you never offlined dozens of humans before." When she tensed up like she was going to attack, he added forcefully, "Whether or not you were _aware_ of what you were doing."

"I'll fight then."

He stiffened, "Demona, no."

"What would you do if someone threatened to tear Solaris away from you?" She said, stalking towards him, "what would you do if they treated him like a monster for something he couldn't even control?"

Optimus' spark squeezed in his chest painfully. She stopped a short distance away, optics full of fire and her body pulled tight. She had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze, but stood her ground defiantly despite their difference in size and rank. He said quietly, "I would fight them."

"She's _my _sparkling, and I _won't rest _until she is safe and happy again," Demona swore, "even if it means going against _you _and the entire human race."

He tensed with pain. Suddenly they were years in the past, when she had stood against him like this for the first time. When she answered to Megatron and Megatron only, when her spark had been set on destroying and offlining to the whim of her master. He realized for the first time that today, despite their bond, they were farther apart than ever before. He said quietly, pleading, "Please don't do this, youngling."

"You won't take action," She answered, "so I will."

"I'll stop you from harming the humans."

"If you get in my way, I'll take you down."

"I care for you both deeply," He tried again, "I never wanted this to happen."

Demona stepped back without saying another word, then left the room. Optimus was left to stand there and sink into the pit opening wide within him. For the first time in a long time, he was at a loss for what to do.

* * *

><p><em>What do I do?<em> Sundance blinked slowly, thinking through the conversation they'd just happened to hear over and over again. She had wanted to go, to leave them alone to talk, but Ash just couldn't drop it. She wanted to hear every last word, and had gone as far as to completely lean against the locked doors with her ear to the metal to listen. Sundance had no doubt that the suits brought bad news with him, but she would have never guessed that it would be about her, or better yet, her exile.

She was lost.

Sundance laid against the back wall of Jetfire's favorite hangar, entire body a limp pile on the dirt as she breathed in his scent. It soothed her panicking spark a little, but it wasn't enough to stop the fear from rising up inside of her. It burned and froze like cold fire, affecting every inch of her body. _What do I do?_ She kept repeating the question, trying to work her processor around to some kind of solution. They wanted her to leave. They had threatened to kick _everyone _out if she didn't go.

The idea of leaving earth...it nearly killed her. How could she leave the only home she'd ever known? Ever since she could remember, she'd been exploring. Her feet had carried her as far as they could before she got her wings. Then, when she was old enough, she had flown across the world several times. She had seen everything, the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful. She had seen it all, and she had loved it all. Because it was her home, her planet.

Ash shifted. Sundance nearly jumped, having forgotten that she was there, draped over her snout with her fingers clenching her face plates. The small human was trying to fight tears, her entire body pulled tight as she soaked it in. She whispered harshly, "Those fucking cowards! They _would _pull some shit like this! I'll beat them all with my bare hands!"

Sundance tensed slightly, and said, "No."

"Why the fuck not? You've done nothing!"

"I slaughtered those people-"

"That wasn't you, Sundance!" Ash shouted, sitting up enough to glare at one of her optics, "You had _no control _over what happened! They don't have a fucking right to blame this on you!"

"I don't want you getting into the same kind of trouble," Sundance snapped, glaring back.

"That's bullshit!"

"If I don't go, they'll pit the military against my family!" Sundance shouted back, "they'll drive my faction off the planet!"

"Oh well! Their fucking loss!"

Sundance vented loudly, abruptly turning her face away to glare out the door-way. "I won't let it happen," She whispered, "Optimus, mom, dad, 'Hide, Jetfire, Jazz...they've all looked for a place to live in peace throughout the war...I won't let it be taken from them."

"Then what are you going to do?"

Sundance hesitated. What _was_ she going to do? Her optics focused on the sky outside. It was still daylight, though the sun was beginning to sink down. _The sun. _She watched it, suddenly wishing that she was outside, soaking up it's warmth. She loved the sun, the sky and the clouds. She loved summer breezes and fall chills and spring rains and even winter freezes. She loved the way how the leaves would change colors during the fall, changing from a happy green to blazing colors of red, gold, and orange. She loved the way the oceans danced beneath the moonlight. She loved the sway of tall fields of grass on spring days.

A stab of blinding anger reached her through one of her parent bonds, tearing her from her thoughts and back to the present. She tuned into the strong, dark feelings her mother was throwing off carelessly. She said softly, "Mom knows."

Ash stilled, a look of slight fear on her face, "Shit, she's gonna tear Optimus a new one." She paused, then asked, "What about your dad?"

"Not yet, but he's worried." Sundance took a slow, deep breath. Her shoulders rose, then fell. She stood up afterwards, hauling her body up when all she wanted to do was lie there until someone came looking for her. She started forward, taking note when Ash scrambled up and started to walk beside her.

Sundance felt a little bit stronger when she felt the girl's hand on her shoulder, offering support in whatever way she could.

* * *

><p>"What the pit is going on?" Jolt snapped, turning to Ratchet when he felt his femme's black rage. His optics burned with anger already, knowing immediately that whatever had his mate in such a fit somehow revolved around their oldest creation. He needed to know just <em>what <em>it was. He tried to ask Demona between failed attempts at easing her anger, but she wasn't talking back.

Ratchet had been acting strange the entire few hours they'd been locked up in the med bay, checking on Jetfire and monitoring his injuries to make sure everything was healing correctly. The yellow mech had _fidgeted, _which was _not _normal, and never made optic-contact with Jolt even though the younger had made several attempts to get his attention. The senior medic was distracted by something bad, if his saddened look and avoidance of conversation was any indication.

But when Jolt confronted him head on, beginning to mirror what Demona was feeling in his expression and posture, Ratchet put down his tools and vented deeply. The older medic said, sounding defeated and sad, "Demona knows, doesn't she?"

"_Yes_," Jolt bit out, "and whatever it is, its _not _good."

"Its not," Ratchet confirmed with a slight nod. He raised his optics to him slowly, "The government sent people out this morning."

Jolt froze.

Ratchet kept going, saddened expression turning into one of bitter annoyance, "They came out to discuss Sundance."

When he didn't say anything else, Jolt approached the berth he was standing at to place his hands on the surface across from him. He leaned forward a little, holding Ratchet's gaze when he met his optics. Jolt said, tone oddly quiet and cold, "_What _did they have to say about her?"

"They've ordered Optimus to send her into exile."

Jolt's spark nearly died in his chest. He stared at his senior, optics wide with disbelief. His processor stuttered, unable to comprehend it. Ratchet vented again, though much more quietly, and continued, "They've threatened to 'remove' all of us if we don't comply by military force."

_Exile...Sundance..._Jolt straightened slowly, the words echoing in his processor. His spark began to spin again, burning painfully with new anger. For a long minute, he could do nothing but stand there and stare at his hands on the berth. Then, when the news began to sink in, he wrapped his hands like claws around the edge of the berth and flipped it with one hard shove.

Ratchet jumped back as tools went everywhere. The berth tumbled once through the air before hitting the floor with a boom akin to thunder, the impact smashing in one corner and shaking the walls of the med bay. Jolt turned away from Ratchet before the older medic could start shouting. He drug both hands down his face, and hissed a few profanities under his breath.

Ratchet was quiet behind him, but Jolt could feel his gaze boring into his back. Jolt started to walk, steps heavy with his anger as he made his way towards the door. Ratchet scrambled noisily after him, calling, "Jolt! Youngling, where are you going?"

"To have a talk with Prime," Jolt answered.

"No, mech!"

"_This is wrong_!" Jolt snarled, turning on him so fast the older mech had to stumble back to keep from running into him. They were in the hall now, so anyone walking about stopped to stare curiously. "You _know _this is wrong!"

"I had no say in it! I wasn't even in the room when this happened!" Ratchet defended, optics narrowing.

"I won't let this happen!" Jolt turned back around and started moving his feet again, "I just got her back, I won't let her be taken again!"

* * *

><p>"Ya look like slag," Jazz observed tonelessly when Optimus entered the room. Jazz sent him a glance before turning back to the computers, "How'd the talk with Dem go?"<p>

"How do you think?" Optimus bit back. He shuttered his optics and mentally kicked himself afterwards, then apologized to the smaller mech.

Jazz waved it off, "You want me to keep an optic on her?"

"No," Optimus vented quietly, "she hasn't left base."

"Ironhide's pretty pissed off," Jazz started, "Primus, Jolt will be eletrocutin' all of us after he finds out. I don't even wanna _know _how Grimlock is goin' to react." He paused like he thought of something, then tilted his head to glance at Optimus again, "Gears is gonna be all over your aft, too. And Ash. You're doomed, Optimus."

"I can't control this." Optimus said, "if we all go, where would we stay? There are too many of us here to live comfortably on one ship. This is the last thing I want to do."

"Then don't do it."

"You know what that would lead to, Jazz." Optimus stopped talking, turning to look to the doors when they slid open to reveal Jolt, who nearly matched Demona in expression and posture. Jazz turned to face the newcomer, arms crossing as he took in his obvious anger.

"Be careful, mech," Jazz warned.

"Why would you do this?" Jolt asked, "Has Sundance honestly done anything wrong? She had no control over what happened, everyone here knows it!"

"The human government thinks differently," Optimus said.

"And since _when _do they _govern_ US? We are autobots. We protect our own, we never leave a mech on the field. _THIS,_" He clenched his fists, "goes against _everything _we are about."

"It's their planet, their home."

"This is _my _sparkling," Jolt snarled, "_my _daughter! You _can't _do this to her!"

"I understand what you're feeling, Jolt-"

"No you don't," The medic scoffed, "you don't understand a _thing _about whats happening. When was the last time _your _creation was hunted down and bled out be humans? When was the last time _your _creation was stolen by decepticons and rebuilt to be a killer? When was the last time _you _felt their absence like a severed bond?"

Optimus stilled, watching him with exhausted optics.

"My family has been to the pits and back through all of this, and I will rust away to scrap deep in space before I let it happen again. I won't let you do this."

"I don't _want _to do this."

"Then _why _are you allowing it to happen?! I have _followed_ you my entire existence! I've followed every order, respected your rank and never once turned my back on you!" Jolt shouted, "and _this _is how you repay me, tearing my family apart!"

Optimus was almost sure that the mech would attack him. Jolt was rigid, optics lit with his anger and hands clenching. A few sparks of blue electricity streaked up and down his arms. Jazz shifted to crouch slightly, ready to defend in case the medic _did _attack. But right when Jolt started forward, he fell back a step.

His optics widened and he turned away slightly, shoulders pulling down with some unseen weight. His gaze became unfocused, and he whispered, "...Sundance, no..." Then, Jolt shuttered his optics and turned away from them. He faced the doors as they eased open.

Optimus and Jazz both straightened when they saw Sundance standing there. Her face was carefully blank, not even her optics gave away what she was feeling or thinking. She stepped inside, new red armor shining beneath the lighting, and stretched her neck up to touch her nose to Jolt's chest, over his spark. She whispered, "This is _my_ choice, father."

Jolt lowered his head, looking every bit like a broken mech. Sundance turned her optics to Optimus next, who approached. He said, "I'm sorry, Sundance."

"Don't be," Sundance pressed the base of her horns into his arms, allowing him to feel the slight tremor that was running through her. She added, "we can't control this."

Sundance hesitated, then said, "I want to see Jetfire, and talk to my friends. I'll be ready to leave after."

Optimus nodded slowly. Sundance glanced at Jazz, offering him a small smile before she returned to her mech creator and guided him out. Once they left, Optimus spotted Ash standing in the doorway. The human was glaring at him, and though she almost always had something to say, she clenched her jaw and turned on one heel to walk after the two.

Optimus vented, feeling more and more like the villain as the day went.

* * *

><p>Sundance could feel the cold shock in her father's spark, and it seemed to gravitate towards her over the distance in their bond. It hit her like a kick in the chest plates, but she kept her steps even as they headed towards her creators' quarters. Her spark ached, nearly torn to shreds by everything that had happened. She didn't know if she could survive a lonely exile, she didn't know where she would go, or how she would make it without her family.<p>

Her father whispered, sounding completely broken, "Sundance, _why_?"

"I hate it," She admitted quietly, pulling herself from her thoughts, "but I don't want anyone fighting over me. I just want everyone to be happy again."

"I want _you _to be happy."

"I am happy, daddy," Sundance tilted her head to gaze up at him, forcing the fear from her face so he'd know she meant it, "I'm going to miss you."

A hand ghosted over her horns, and he said softly, "No you won't."

She blinked, looking up at him again. Before she could ask, he stated, "Your mother and I refuse to leave you again, and your brothers have made it clear that they want to stay with you."

Sundance stopped, optics widening when she realized what he was saying. Her spark burned with feeling, though it wasn't anger or confusion or pain. She could do nothing but stare when he said, "If you go, so do we."

"You'd leave earth and everyone else?" Sundance whispered.

"For our sparkling, yes." His hand curled around her jaw and his fingers stroked her cheek plates, "we would do anything for you three."

"But this is your home. You don't have to leave-"

"This is _our _choice," He said, turning her own words around on her. His voice was a little stronger now, and suddenly she could feel his conviction through the bond. Her mother filtered the same feelings to her, then Flashback. The anger was still there, but much weaker.

Sundance smiled weakly at him, her broken spark shining a little brighter.

* * *

><p><strong>...So the parents know...we have yet to see Grimlock and the Gears' reactions...This all sucks, and I'm about to pile more on top of the suckiness. <strong>

**This story is almost over. There's maybe a few more chapters left, then it's done. BUT, before you get really mad at me, I want to add that there's going to be a sequel. **

**Anyway, much love. **

**Sundance and her family and friends and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not. **


	75. Chapter 75

**Chapter 75**

"What's your name?" Pockets asked, crouching down in front of his brother and the little girl that was still curled against him. The girl peeked at him through her long dark hair. For a moment, all she did was stare at him, like she was studying him or something. She didn't speak until Critter ran a hand through her hair, pulling it from her eyes.

She blinked, and whispered, "My name is Brooklyn."

Pockets smiled at her, "Hi, Brooklyn. I'm Alec, Alex's brother."

Her eyes brightened, "His _big_ brother?"

"Yep." As if to prove it, Pockets reached over and ruffled Critter's bright red hair with one hand until it was a mess. Brooklyn smiled back at him. He added, "I heard you wouldn't leave him when all that bad stuff happened. You were taking care of my baby brother, huh?"

She paused to think then nodded quickly, "I didn't want the monsters to get him."

"Thank you for protecting him," Pockets said, "usually, that's my job, but I wasn't there to do it, so thank you for stepping up to the plate."

Her smile grew a little bit more, "You're welcome."

"I had Ash hide her when I fell," Critter said, watching Brooklyn as she snuggled into him happily, "When it was over, she just came running out of the smoke, and came right back to me."

"That's crazy," Rex put in, pushing a hand through his wild blonde hair, "and she's been with you ever since?"

"She won't let me go." Critter said, "when the paramedics tried to take her so they could check her over, she threw a fit."

Gears leaned forward, smiling, "So what are you going to do with her?"

"I don't know. Red Alert ran a search on her family, and didn't find anyone other than her parents, so I don't think she has a place to go."

"I think she wants to stay with you," Gears continued. Brooklyn nodded quickly, and she chuckled.

Rex raised an eyebrow, "Don't you think you're robbing the cradle, Critter?"

Gears sent him a sharp look, "Boy, you watch yourself."

He grinned at her, "What 'cha gonna do about it?"

"I'm gonna call Jo out so she can start throwing boots at you."

Pockets laughed. Rex kept grinning, though it faded a little when Shark stormed into the infirmary, hissing, "I can't find Ash anywhere."

"She's probably trying to hang out with Sunny," Rex said, suddenly sounding tired, "don't worry, Rae-Rae. Sunny will keep her safe."

Shark shot him a look but said nothing else. She walked inside, but rather than go find some place to sit by herself, she settled close beside him. Rex gave an honest smile in response, loosely looping an arm around her back. The tension eased out of her body and she leaned into him a little, looking at Brooklyn when she felt the girl's eyes on her.

Brooklyn said shyly, "You're really pretty."

Shark blinked, then smiled back at her, "Thank you, sweetheart."

Everyone looked up when the autobot-sized door slid open to reveal Demona. Gears and her boys immediately tensed, seeing the look of chaotic rage and heart-breaking sadness. Gears forced herself to her feet, straightening her curled back as much as she could, and stepped towards her, "Baby, what's wrong?"

Without a word, Demona brought her hands down to carefully wrap them around Gears and lift her. She brought the old woman to her chest, then turned and walked back out just as suddenly as she had entered. "Oh fuck," Rex muttered, "what happened this time?"

"I don't know," Pockets said quietly, "God I hope everyone's okay. This is the last thing we need right now."

* * *

><p>Sundance uncoiled a little, still piled in her father's arms. He held her willingly on his lap, settled on the berth in her family's quarters. She felt like a sparkling again, and despite all the slag that was raining down on them right now, she had curled into him and pressed her face into his chest plates and hummed softly to the rhythm of his spark. For a minute, she was happy. But then her processor started to work again, and sad thoughts filled it.<p>

She had her family, but she would still have to say goodbye to everyone else. Her mother would have to separate from her human family. Sundance was beginning to realize that they may never see them again after they leave, and it nearly killed her spark. Humans had such short lives, and they were so fragile. Even if she could manage to return some day, what if all the ones she loved had died out?

_Stop thinking about it. _Sundance shuttered her optics, and forced her processor elsewhere. She whispered, "I want to see Jetfire."

"He's not online yet," Jolt said softly, "he won't be awake."

"I still want to see him," Sundance pushed.

He didn't speak or move at first, but after a moment he let her go. Sundance climbed down slowly, then waited for him to stand up. He stepped out of the room first, and they walked side by side to the med bay in heavy silence. Ratchet was inside, and he looked up when he heard them enter. His optics focused on Jolt almost warily, then shifted to Sundance and saddened.

Sundance fixed her optics on Jetfire, making her way towards him immediately. Her spark began to squeeze tightly when she saw the damage. From what she remembered as Lunar Song, she knew that her father and Ratchet had done a lot of work, but he was still in pieces. Sundance paused at his berth, then stood up on her legs to place her hands on it's surface. She brought her head down to touch her nose to Jetfire's plated beard.

She shuttered her optics. _I did this._

Sundance vented softly, then crouched down to jump up to the berth. He was a big mech, but there was still a bit of space left on the edge that was just wide enough for her to lay down on. She stretched out beside him, letting her tail drape over the edge and tucking her face in against his throat cables. Jolt stood near the door. She heard Ratchet move to join him, and the two mechs watched in silence.

Sundance stayed where she was for several minutes, silently willing him to wake, even if just to see his optics light. It sank in that he was too weak to online, so she settled for listening to the hum of his spark. The familiar sound comforted her broken spark like nothing else could, and soon she was beginning to drift off into a light recharge. Then he moved.

Sundance went rigid, feeling the way how cables tightened in his body. His spark hummed louder and his systems began to whine softly. Sundance lifted her head while both medics rushed over, a look of shock on their faces. She leaned down, watching his face until his optics flickered online. They were dim, and unfocused, but they were online. Sundance held her breath, optics softening when he rasped, "Spitfire."

"Jetfire," She responded quietly, bringing her nose down to touch it to his cheek plates. His optics brightened a little. His optics brightened, then shuttered.

"Tell me a story," He continued. Sundance's spark tensed. He added, sounding so tired, "I...never heard you tell the story of the battle against Galvatron."

"You were there, you already know it," Sundance answered.

"I've forgotten."

Sundance swallowed hard, then brought her head down to rest it over his neck. She shuttered her optics as Ratchet and Jolt checked his vitals quietly. "Galvatron stood like a giant among us," She began in a whisper, "and there was so few of us left to fight. I stood beside mom and watched as he batted autobots away like they were nothing, and I knew that I couldn't stand aside and let him destroy everything I loved."

She hesitated, "I needed to fight, I thought of mom, of dad, and of you, the way how you all were so strong, and I flew..."

Her quiet voice echoed in the med bay, silent outside of the sounds of the medics doing a few more repairs to keep Jetfire online. Jetfire listened to the whole thing.

* * *

><p>Ash paced angrily, fists clenched at her sides so tight her knuckles were white. Her heart hammered against her rib cage, her mind raced. What was happening? Why couldn't she stop it? Her pale eyes burned with anger and tears all at once, eyebrows scrunched down in a glare. She hated it. She hated everything. She hated what was happening, she hated the government for doing this, she hated Optimus for letting it happen. She hated the seekers for taking Sundance. She hated the Hunters for starting the whole fucking thing.<p>

"_God,_" She snarled, "Of all the _fucking things _that could happen."

She made herself stop when she started to get dizzy, and forced a heavy breath of air out then sucked in another. She lifted her eyes to gaze down the hallway, suddenly feeling empty when she realized that she was alone. Sundance had left her, leading Jolt away before he went insane and started lopping off heads. What was Sundance thinking? Why wouldn't she fight them? Ash _knew _that the damn dragon _loved _earth, that to leave it was a nightmare to her. Why was she giving up so easily? _Why?_

Ash huffed, then turned sharply to stalk down the hall. There had to be _something _she could do to stop this. She was just one little teenager, but dammit, she wasn't helpless. She would stand up to them in any way possible. She wasn't going to let anyone else take Sundance away again. She was so sick and tired of it all, like the whole world was against them. She hated it. Was it really so hard to leave everyone alone and let them live in peace for a few minutes?

Ash stopped walking, perking up when she heard the rumble of Grimlock's voice somewhere close by. She straightened, realizing that, outside of Sundance and her parents, Ash was the only one close to her that knew. The big ass dinosaur had become way too protective over Sundance since they came back, to the point of being kicked out of the med bay several times until everyone just gave up and moved the femme to her family's quarters.

If he knew, he'd be charging through the base, gnashing his teeth and roaring...wouldn't he? Ash started walking again, although much more quickly. An idea was rapidly coming together in her head, one that just _might _work.

After all, who wants to deal with a pissed off fifty-foot long dinosaur? Who could _stand _against him?

* * *

><p><strong>I've already finished writing the last chapters, so I may or may not post 76 late this evening.<strong>

**Tell me what you think, much love to you all.**

**Sundance and her family, friends, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	76. Chapter 76

**Chapter 76**

Demona raced across the road, pushing her frame to the limit in her anger. Some of it had died when she had spoken with Jolt over the bond, when they had both made the promise to follow Sundance, wherever she was sent. Flashback had been eavesdropping, and had quickly jumped in to add that he wouldn't leave her. They would all be together, but she was still fighting the blackening rage that was raising up inside her like a beast fighting it's chains. It snarled and spat, screaming at her to take action and _fight. _

Gears sat quietly in the passenger seat, one hand pressed to the dash. Demona knew she was worried, and though she hated herself and everyone else for having to tell her adopted mother this, it had to be done. Gears had to know that they were leaving. So did her sons, so did Rex and everyone else that was in their family.

After long moments of tense silence, Gears started, "Dem, baby, what's wrong? I haven't seen you this angry and scared since Sundance was taken...what happened?"

Demona slowed down when she began to feel the strain of her reckless driving on her frame. The roar of her engine died down and she quietly rolled off the main road to pull over in some part of the desert. They were miles away from base now, and no one else was in sight in any direction. Demona rumbled for a moment longer before saying, voice toneless, "We're leaving."

Gears blinked, then smiled weakly, "We can't leave yet, baby. Alex and Ash still need medical attention."

"No," Demona said, voice cracking, "_We _are leaving. Jolt and I are taking the sparklings, and leaving."

It took a moment for the woman to process it, but when she did, her expression made Demona hate herself even more. Gears leaned forward, pressing both hands to the dash. Her voice was shattering, growing high with panic as she demanded, "What? Why! You...Demona, we just...what-"

"The government is forcing Optimus to send Sundance into exile."

Gears froze, organic optics wide. Her hands began to tremble, and she breathed, "What?"

"They don't trust her. They suspect she'll turn into a decepticon at any moment and slaughter everyone," Demona bit out, "Optimus won't stand up to them."

"Then _we'll _stand up to them!" Gears snarled.

Demona sank down on her wheels tiredly, "Sundance doesn't want us to fight."

Again, the human stilled.

"She's already told Optimus that she'll leave." Demona vented sharply, "Jolt and I are going with her. Flashback wants to go as well, and we can't leave Backlash here without a creator."

"...You're _leaving?_" Gears stared at her dash, blind eyes filling with tears.

"We have to."

"No, no, no..." Gears leaned back, sinking into the seat and raising her hands to pull at her face. She shook her head, "No, there has to be another way."

"There isn't," Demona said sadly, feeling defeated as she watched the first human she'd ever come to trust fall apart. "Sundance has made her decision, and we've made ours."

"But you're my angel," Gears started, "you're my baby girl. I love you, and Jolt...and _God_...my little grand-babies..." Tears started to run down from her eyes. "I can't let any of you go. Please don't do this."

Demona felt her spark tear in half. She quickly activated her human holoform, appearing in the drivers seat to lean across and wrap both arms around Gears. The woman sat rigid and continued to shake before she completely caved into Demona's fake form, piling into her arms with a sob that wracked through her body. Her hands came up to clutch at her back, clenching into the clothing her holoform was dressed in. Demona held her tightly, and whispered, "I'm sorry, mother."

* * *

><p>Sundance watched over the old mech as he recharged deeply. He'd faded shortly after she retold the battle against Galvatron. His remaining hand was closed loosely around one of her arms, holding on even while he was powered down. She glanced at her father when he came to stand beside her. His hand pressed against her shoulder, and he reached for her through the bond. She met him halfway, and he told her, <em>'You're brothers are calling me. I'll be back soon.'<em>

"I'll be here," She said out loud, touching her nose to his arm. Jolt stroked her armor and left, optics down with a hand raised to press to his helm. Sundance watched him go before resting her head back on Jetfire's shoulder. She turned her optics to Ratchet when he approached. He said softly, "I'm sorry, Sundance."

She managed a small smile, "It's not your fault, Ratchet."

He hesitated, then, "You understand that none of us wanted this to happen, not I or Optimus or Jazz. Even Ironhide is in a rage over it. This was not our choice."

"I know, I don't blame anyone for it."

He smiled at her, "It's good to have you back, sparkling...promise me you'll take care of him."

Sundance blinked, "Daddy?"

He nodded. "And Demona, too. Take care of both of them."

She smiled a little bigger, "I will, Ratchet, but you have to promise to take care of Jetfire."

"I promise."

They sank into the silence then. Sundance let her optics drift closed, almost losing herself in the steady hum of Jetfire's spark. Ratchet went around their berth to go to another one that looked like it'd been beaten up, counting tools and testing to make sure they were all functioning properly.

Both of them tensed when the base shook and a deafening roar filled the halls. Sundance's spark squeezed, and she lifted her head from Jetfire's warm armor. She recognized it immediately, and stared towards the doorway as Grimlock kept shouting and snarling somewhere across base. Ratchet vented sharply, "That pit-spawned aft, what has he gotten into now?"

"Someone must have told him," Sundance said. The base trembled again, someone started screaming profanities. She pushed herself to her feet with a light growl, "_Primus_."

Ratchet sent her an odd look when she dropped down from the berth and started towards the door. He asked, "Sundance, what the pit are you doing?"

"Someone has to stop him," Sundance said, glancing at him. She shook her head and trotted out of the med bay to glide down the hall in the direction of all the noise. Her feet carried her to him quickly, and she tore around the corner just in time to see him knock Prowl flat on his back in the middle of a wide hall. Sundance hesitated, taking it all in.

Grimlock was in his beast form, huge jaws open wide to bite as he closed in on Prowl. The mech looked completely stunned from the attack, and he simply laid there as the dinobot came closer. Jazz and a few other mechs were jumping around in the background, shouting at Grimlock or running to get to Prowl. Sundance snarled, lunging forward. She stepped over Prowl's form quickly, posting her body over him defensively. She stretched her neck out and roared right in Grimlock's face, her challenge echoing down the halls with the same ferocity his had.

_Everyone_ froze, including Grimlock. When he just stood there, staring at her, she snarled, "ENOUGH!"

Grimlock snapped out of it, growling, "They're sending you away."

"I agreed to it," Sundance snapped, "this is _my_ choice, Grimlock!"

He blinked. She continued, "And you _have _to respect that! Stand down and _stop _attacking Prowl!"

He stepped forward, leaning in to bare his teeth in her face, "No!"

"I don't want to fight you, mech, but I slagging will if you don't drop this right now!" Sundance threatened. When he didn't back off, she bared her black dentals, "_Walk away, _Grimlock."

He snarled and took a step closer, then abruptly lifted his head and stepped away. Sundance watched him as he stalked down the hallway, body tense with his anger. For a moment, she couldn't believe he'd just listened to her. She slowly loosened, shifting her body to the side so Prowl could stand. She arched her neck into his side, pushing him up to his feet.

He still looked dazed, but he focused on her with an odd look on his face. He said, "Thank you."

Sundance nodded at him, then started to walk off after Grimlock. She shook off all the stares she was getting and followed the huge mech down the maze of hallways. They moved in complete quiet for a moment before he suddenly stopped and turned on her, bringing his head down to press to her chest again. Sundance froze. He growled, "I will fight for you. They cannot take you away."

"They're not going to," Sundance tried, softening her voice, "I leave because I want to."

He brought his head up to stare into her optics, "No you don't."

She vented sharply, "I would rather leave than pit my faction against each other and have the humans drive us all out."

"Let them try!"

"No!" Sundance moved closer, taking a page out of his book as she got right up in his space, "I don't want you to fight for me, Grimlock!"

He clenched his jaw so hard his dentals ground against one another. When he spoke again, he sounded heart broken, his voice a whisper, "Then I will come with you."

Sundance's spark squeezed. She said, matching his tone, "You would abandon the autobots and the earth to stay with me? Even Swoop?"

"Yes," He said quickly, leaving no room for argument.

Sundance moved closer, raising her head to press her cheek to his. She shuttered her optics. Grimlock breathed in her scent, holding still. "You have to stay here," Sundance said softly. He tensed to argue, so she added, "you need to be here for your soldiers when they come home. Soldiers need their king, Grimlock."

"I have just found you."

"I know." Sundance stepped back, "You're such an aft, but I'm going to miss you."

"Please let me fight."

"No." Sundance narrowed her optics a little, "respect my choice, Grimlock."

He vented heavily. She half expected him to go storming off to find something to trample, but he stayed there. He even followed her when she turned to walk back towards the med bay. Sundance said, glancing at him, "Who told you I was leaving, anyway?"

"The human with gray optics."

Sundance stopped, optics widening. She vented, "Ash!"

She changed course, hissing under her breath as she tried to track the human down. Grimlock fell into step beside her. He was still rigid with rage, but he kept it in check, content to just be close to her.

* * *

><p><strong>You asked for it, so you got it...<strong>

**I wanted there to be a bigger scene where Grimlock caused a ton of damage, but I couldn't get it out right, so I just had Sundance stop him from completely mauling Prowl...I figure that, more than anything, Grimlock would listen to her even though he doesn't like her decision. He's an aft, and he's hardheaded, but it's clear he cares for her, so he's just gonna be her grumbling, pissed off shadow for a while.**

**And I'm just now realizing I probably should've wrote the scene from his POV so everyone could understand better...Whoops.**

**Sundance and her family, friends, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	77. Chapter 77

**Chapter 77**

Ash glared at her childhood friend, who stood glaring right back across from her. "He had to find out at some point," Ash snapped, "he would have gone ape shit either way."

"You did it to set him against everyone," Sundance hissed back, "Primus, is it _that _fragging hard to let me go?"

Without missing a beat, both Ash _and _Grimlock said, "Yes!"

Sundance sighed. Ash clenched her teeth, and forced out, "Why do _you _have to leave, Sundance? _None _of this was your fault! They're blaming you for shit someone else did! You don't deserve this!"

Sundance met her eyes again, and Ash broke down. The tears started to run down her face and she straightened up and crossed her arms like a stubborn toddler, eyes scrunching up in a pathetic attempt to keep glaring at her, "Goddammit! This is _wrong_!"

Sundance's face plates rearranged into a look of exhausted sorrow. She moved forward quickly, curling her body around Ash like a cocoon. Her big warm nose pressed into Ash's chest, "Ashlynn..."

"You've never had a problem standing up for yourself before! Why the fuck aren't you doing it now?" Ash continued, refusing to look at her, "God, Sunny! WHY!"

Grimlock stood awkwardly to the side, watching almost curiously as Sundance tightened herself around Ash like she was giving her a hug with her whole body. Sundance said nothing, optics half open and dim with pain.

"Fuck it all," Ash snarled, "fuck the government, fuck Optimus, fuck you, fuck me, fuck _everyone._"

"It's going to be okay, Ash-"

"NO, it's NOT going to be OKAY!" Ash screamed, throwing her fists down. The tears were rushing now, spilling out of her eyes like rivers. Her cheeks became red and her eyes glassy. "GOD, Sundance! How can you even _say _that?! This is going to destroy _everything_! Don't you get it?! _I CAN'T do this!_" Her screams broke into pitiful sobs, "I-I can't do this! I _can't_!"

"Yes you can," Sundance whispered to her, "take a breath, dry your eyes. You have one of the strongest hearts I've ever seen."

Ash threw back her head and laughed bitterly, "Strong?! I'm fucking falling apart, Sunny."

"Things heal," Sundance kept going, "and sometimes they are stronger in the places they were broken. That's why you've made it so far. You're strong Ash, you'll make it through this."

"Not without you." Ash said stubbornly, "you can't go."

"I have to."

"You'll be alone."

"No I won't," Sundance smiled weakly, "mom and dad won't let me go by myself. We're all going."

"You're going to leave us behind."

Sundance shuttered her optics, "Ash, _please._"

"When?" Ash asked suddenly.

"In a few days. I think Prowl has already sent out a team of mechs to prepare a small ship for us."

Ash screwed her eyes shut, "And no ones going to do _anything?_"

"My choice," Sundance reminded, "I won't have my whole faction bullied off the planet because of me."

Ash took in a shuddering breath, "You're too damn noble, you know that? Anyone else would be scared shitless."

"I am scared," Sundance admitted.

"I can't believe this is happening, after all the other crap you've been through..." Ash turned and wrapped both arms around Sundance's face, "God, Sunny...I don't want you to go..."

"I know."

"Do you even know where you're going?"

Sundance lifted her head slowly then pointed her nose up, "Mom says that Optimus is sending us to an abandoned decepticon outpost on the moon, where we can monitor any incoming ships and stop decepticons before they enter the atmosphere. We'll still be in sight, Ash. Whenever you want to see me, just go out at night and look up, and that's where I'll be."

Ash turned her eyes up to look at the sky.

"And I swear on my spark that I will find a way to come see you," Sundance promised, "both of you."

Ash nodded slowly, "You better, or I'll find a way to fly my ass up there and beat the hell out of you."

Sundance smiled at her.

* * *

><p>"Thats...thats fucking <em>bullshit!<em>" Rex snarled, glaring at his clenched fists.

"And there's _nothing _we can do?" Pockets said quickly, "Nothing at all? They won't give her or a trial, or-"

"She's not human," Gears said softly, leaning back slowly until she was laying in Critter's bed. Her youngest son was sitting on the edge, both of his legs propped up on a stool. His eyes were turned down, sad, arms loosely looped over Brooklyn's back. The little girl was looking between them with curious, wide eyes. "Our laws don't apply to her."

"But they can exile her," Pockets bit out, "because _that_ totally makes sense."

"They're all going?" Critter asked, glancing at his mother, "even the younger sparklings?"

"Yes." Gears raised her hands to her face, "it's going to tear our whole family apart. God damn those suits...I'd like to light their asses on fire."

"Optimus won't stand up to him?"

"He can't do anything because Sundance has already agreed to it, and they threatened to attack all of them with the military if they didn't."

"Fuuuuuuck," Rex groaned, dragging his hands down his face, "the shit just never stops coming."

Gears closed her eyes tightly as a few more tears slipped free. She whispered, "We can't do _anything_."

"How long before they have to go?" Pockets asked, sitting down on the other side of her. He lowered a hand to squeeze one of her's.

"Two days, maybe."

"What!" Rex exclaimed, "how the fuck are they supposed to say all of their goodbyes and pack up in two days?"

"I don't know, Rex," She said, "they're just being assholes about the whole thing."

"What do we do?" Critter whispered, "how are we supposed to let them go?"

"We don't, baby," Gears reached over to straighten out the hem of his shirt, "we never let them go. We...just have to learn to love them from a distance."

Critter worked his jaw, and didn't meet anyone's eyes for the rest of the day. No one else spoke.

* * *

><p>"It's getting dark," Sundance said quietly, cracking her optics open, "we should go back to base."<p>

"No," Ash grumbled, curling into Sundance's neck. Sundance rolled her optics when Grimlock, who was wrapped around _her _in the same manner she was around Ash, voiced his agreement.

Sundance muttered, "You two are ridiculous."

"Shut up. You like it." Ash snapped. Sundance smiled. After a long moment, Ash whispered, "This is one of the shittiest days of my life, but God, I don't want it to end...it's not enough. Two or three days isn't enough."

Sundance hummed in agreement, lifting her head to rest it on top of Grimlock's so she could see the darkening sky. Her optics softened, "I'm going to miss this."

"Then stay." Grimlock tried again.

"You know I can't, mech."

"I think we should just steal you away," Ash put in, "take you somewhere far away and just hide you."

Sundance chuckled. She felt Ash lean into her, taking comfort in the slight weight of the human and the strength Grimlock offered while wrapped around her. She sank into it, letting the last hours of the day go.

* * *

><p><strong>So this is the second to last update...I may or may not post 78 tonight, the final one, because I don't know if I'll be home this evening so it all really relies on that. Despite it being bitter sweet, I like the way how they're all wrapped around each other in the last scene, like a big burrito of love or something. <strong>

**I've already started writing the first chapter for the new story, set several years in the future, and I think I'm having way too much fun with it. **

**Much love to everyone.**

**Sundance, her family, her friends, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	78. Chapter 78

**Chapter 78**

"Are you ready?" Her mother asked softly. Sundance stared at the doorway of the hangar, optics bright but not quite focused. She felt it when her mother brushed a hand over her horns, but said nothing in response. Her spark seized with fear, and suddenly the gravity of the situation hit her. She couldn't make her feet move. _I don't want to go._

She tensed her shoulders, optics lowering from the doorway to fix on Flashback as he patted her on her wrist armor. He was glaring out at the few autobots inside that had come with them to see her family off, and said, "C'mon, 'Dance. Let's ditch these afts."

Sundance raised an optic ridge, reminding, "Language, Flash."

He ignored her, turning to look up at their father when he started forward. Jolt had been quiet all morning, and the entire night before. Sundance finally moved her feet, following him. Demona fell into step behind them, holding Backlash to her chest. Flashback almost had to run to keep up with their strides, but he managed to stay with Sundance.

Her three days were up, and they had passed by so quickly she hardly had time to react to it all. Her spark squeezed tightly, and she moved closer to her father on impulse. They paused near the exit, so they could say goodbye to their human family again. Sundance lowered her head and pressed it into her Mimi's arms, then moved to each of her uncles when she finally let go.

"I thought I told you to quit growing," Pockets said shakily, "if you get any bigger, there won't be enough room for you up there."

Sundance smiled at him, "I can't help it, uncle Pockets."

"This is bullshit," Rex hissed, throwing both arms around her when she turned to him next. "God, I'm going to miss the hell outta you guys."

"I love you, uncle Rex," Sundance said softly, "take care of Ash for me."

"I will, Sunny."

Sundance turned to Ash next, optics saddening. Ash wasn't even fighting the tears anymore, and they rolled down her face quietly. Ash croaked, "It's been one hell of a ride, Sunny D."

She hugged Sundance as tight as she could, whispering, "Don't forget your promise. I'll watch the skies every night."

"My spark stays here with you, Ash. No matter where you are, I am always with you." Sundance lingered, waiting for the girl to let go. When she did, Sundance moved to Shark next. The woman made no move to approach at first, and just when Sundance was about to turn away, she stepped forward and placed a hand on her nose.

"Thank you," Shark said honestly, "for protecting my daughter."

Sundance nodded. She raised her head then, looking at them all one more time before she turned to Optimus. Demona knelt down beside her, and both of her little brothers ran forward to get their hugs. Jolt stood quietly beside them, watching them and speaking when spoken to.

Sundance glanced back at Ash when she felt her hand on her's, and said, "Be strong, Ash."

"Don't tell me to be fucking strong, Sunny." Ash said. She stayed beside her while Sundance returned her attention to Optimus, sensing him approach.

"I am truly sorry, Sundance," He said.

"Don't worry about it, Optimus. You can't change this." Sundance hesitated, glancing around the hangar. Prowl, Jazz, and Ironhide were all present. So was Elita-1 and a few other highly ranked autobots. She asked, turning back to Optimus, "Is Jetfire here?"

"No. He's not strong enough to leave the med bay."

Sundance's spark dimmed, but she swallowed down the disappointment. "Tell him that I love him, and that I'll miss him," She said quietly. He nodded.

Jazz and Ironhide fidgeted across from them, and Sundance smiled at them and made her way over. Before she even got halfway, Jazz had bounced on over and his shiny silver arms closed tight around her. Sundance bit back a yelp of surprise when he squeezed her and nearly lifted her off the floor, "Primus, 'Dance, none of this is right. I wish there was a different way." He let her go slowly, stepping back. His visor was up, so she could see his bright optics.

"I do too," Sundance turned to Ironhide who was making his way towards her. Jazz hung around for a minute before approaching her parents and brothers.

Ironhide said nothing at first, not until Sundance leaned back on her haunches and stretched her neck up to touch her nose to his shoulder. He said, "You're a great pain in my aft, but I'm going to miss you, sparkling."

"Love you too, 'Hide." She smiled when he brought a hand down to pass over her horns. She tried to think of something to say to him, but Prowl chose that moment to step forward.

He nodded at Optimus, "It's time."

Sundance's smile vanished. Fear returned to her spark. She turned slowly to join her family again. Ironhide followed her over, clasping a hand on Jolt's shoulder in a very warrior-like manner. Demona was speaking to Critter, so Sundance leaned down to lift her brothers gently with her teeth. She set them on her back, and they quickly latched on to plates of her armor. Demona rose. They faced forward and walked out of the hangar and into the open.

The ship stood tall, a few hundred feet long and almost twice as wide. It stood, nose up, a short distance away. A few mechs were poking around it, running last-minute checks to make sure everything was functioning properly. With every step, Sundance's feet grew heavier, her spark tighter. She moved closer to her creators in reaction, squeezing between them.

The autobots and humans filed out behind them to see them off. The hatch was hissing open and lowering before Sundance heard the familiar thunder of heavy foot steps. She stopped, turning sideways to gaze at Grimlock as he rushed towards them. Jolt vented sharply, "What does that arrogant aft want?"

"He just wants to say good bye, love," Demona scolded lightly, lowering a hand to wrap around his. Sundance sent her a grateful look before she started to walk in Grimlock's direction. The massive dinobot slid to a stop before her, and immediately brought his head down to touch his scarred nose to her's.

"I was wondering where you were," Sundance said, "you almost missed us."

"No one would tell me where you were," He explained, "Swoop saw you while he was flying and came back to tell me." He hesitated, then said, "I would fight them all for you...but you won't let me."

"I won't," she clarified, "and if I catch word of you causing trouble, I'm going to-"

He leaned forward, getting in her face. He challenged, "You'll _what._"

"...Tell every autobot on base that you like to cuddle." Sundance grinned at his expression, forgetting for a moment that she was about to leave everything behind.

"What if I never see you again?" Grimlock asked.

"I'll come back," She promised, touching her nose to his chin. She took in his scent, "I swear it. Until then, I want you to to do your best to keep everyone here safe. Will you do that for me?"

"If you wish it, yes."

Sundance's grin grew a little bit more. She tensed slightly when she felt her creators pull on her spark. She said, "I have to go now."

"I will wait for you."

Sundance turned to approach her family, half expecting him to follow. Her spark dropped when he remained where he was, cold optics fixed on her. She paused halfway to turn back to him. She called, voice strong and loud enough to carry over the distance to him, "Long live Grimlock, king of the dinobots."

His optics flashed, and he seemed to puff up with pride. He replied, matching her voice, "Long live Sundance, queen of the skies."

She smiled, and turned to make the climb inside the belly of the ship. Her optics gazed out one last time, focusing on Ash, who stood apart from her parents and out in the open.

Sundance pulled herself away to settle inside as Jolt and Demona turned to the main computer, turning on the ship then activating auto pilot. Sundance settled beside them, opening her arms when her brothers climbed down into them. She curled her claws around them protectively. Flashback said, sounding quiet and sad, "Tell us a story, 'Dance."

Sundance hummed softly, scooting over when their creators sat down on either side of her. She thought of one, then began to tell it. Gravity shifted around them and the ship heated up as it lifted into the air. It shook and shuddered as it rose higher and higher. Her voice filled the vessel, drowning out the muffled roar of the engines.

* * *

><p><em>YEARS LATER<em>

* * *

><p>"Is this, like, really necessary?" Ash asked, pulling her sunglasses down over her nose to raise an eyebrow at the stout little bay horse standing across from her. "I'm pretty sure riding a horse isn't a crucial skill to learn. It seems just a tiny bit more useless than learning algebra. I mean, seriously. I could be working right now, Rose."<p>

"That's all you do is work!" The teenager said, walking around the bay to check the stirrups then test the cinch. Her strawberry blonde curls were wild and free, and her eyes were bright with happiness. She was really enjoying all of this way too much. She added, "Besides, you're part of the family, and everyone in the family knows how to ride. My momma made sure."

"Not _my _momma," Ash dead panned, "I think horses scare her."

Rose paused, then raised a delicate eyebrow at her, "Something scares your mother?"

Ash shrugged, "Hey, there's a first for everything."

Rose stared a moment longer before shrugging back. She turned to the bay, raising a hand to the saddle horn to see if it would shift. "You should have worn pants. The leather is going to wear blisters on your legs."

Ash blinked, then glanced down at her shorts, chucks, and t-shirt getup. "If I'd known I'd be saddling beasts and riding them into the sunset, I would have dusted off my wranglers."

Rose laughed, "Aw, don't be like that, Ash! Look, Brooklyn is excited to go riding!"

Ash wrinkled her nose, turning around to look behind her as the dark haired girl led a dapple towards them. Brooklyn's dark hair was thrown up in a messy bun, and she was wearing one of Critter's old button-ups over a pair of grease-stained jeans. She was almost dancing across the grass. Her horse caught on to her excitement and had his head up, ears forward and eyes curious.

"But she loves to ride," Ash said, "She does it every damn time uncle Critter comes out here to visit your dad."

"Quit being a scrooge and mount up," Rose said, taking hold of the bay's reins.

Ash tensed, "Do _what?_"

"Mount."

"What the fuck have you been smoking? I mean, I'm desperate sometimes, but _shit."_

Rose started laughing again. "God, Ash! Has anyone told you that you're ridiculous?"

"Several. Now how the hell do you get on this thing?"

Rose proceeded to her instruct her on how to get on the damn horse, and stood nearby until Ash was safely in the saddle with both feet in the stirrups. She took the reins when they were offered to them, and she stared down at them with raised eyebrows. She twisted, and called, "What the hell do I do with these things?"

"You steer him with those," Brooklyn said quickly, bringing her favorite horse up beside the bay. She stuck a toe in one of the stirrups and swung up in one push, settling in the saddle like she was born to ride. She shifted the reins to one hand and continued, "See? If you had come out and ridden with us all the _other _times we invited you, you'd know all of this."

"Because I know I don't belong on a horse," Ash scoffed, "I was born in the alley of a city, Brooklyn, this just isn't my thing."

"Aunt Jo says your dad rode," Brooklyn said, "in the desert, on a real Egyptian Arabian."

"Yeah, _backwards _with his hands grabbing the horse's ass." Ash blinked, jumping slightly when Rose came out of nowhere, on the back of a stormy gray colt. "Where the hell did you just come from?"

"The barn." She said.

"Damn you walk quick." Ash wiggled a little, "so how do you get this thing to go?"

"Touch his belly with your heels, but _don't _kick too hard," Rose answered, "I'll show you as we go."

With that said, both of the younger girls got their horses going, leaving Ash behind. Ash waited a moment, watching them go, and wondered for a moment just where the hell time went. Rose and Brooklyn were in high school now. They were both juniors, and had been excitedly chatting back and forth about their first prom almost all day.

Brooklyn was tall and slender, and though she looked nothing like Critter and knew he wasn't her real father, she was crazy about him. She was real homey, and loved her grease-stained jeans and boots. She had a habit of grabbing whatever was in the dryer when she got dressed, which often led to her walking out in some shirt that belonged to Critter.

Rose was short and solid, curvy without being fat. She took after her mother height-wise, and her father build-wise. Her hair was a fiery blend of wheat gold and rich red, and her eyes were always laughing. She loved her life on the ranch, and had personally trained her colt herself. She was never without her roper heels and her rhinestone studded jewelry, cowgirl princess to the core of her heart.

Ash carefully touched her heels to the bay's sides like Rose had told her to, pulling from her thoughts when the teenager turned to call for her. The horse started to walk forward, and Ash tensed at the unfamiliar motion. The horse took a few steps then locked up. He lifted his head stubbornly, and gnawed on the bit. Ash looked down at it, then said, "Awesome! You gave me the broken one!"

Brooklyn laughed so hard she almost fell off her horse while Rose grinned widely and said, "You have to relax! They can sense what you're feeling. If you're uncomfortable, so is the horse!"

"No, I'm pretty sure he's broken." Ash took her advice anyway, breathing nice and slow until they both relaxed. When she kicked again, he walked. Soon she was beside the other two, and the three of them rode past the barn and into the open, green field that made up part of the pasture.

Brooklyn asked, looking at her, "So what have you been up to?"

"Running my studio," Ash said, rolling her eyes, "same old shit. I dance, then I show people how to dance, then we all dance together over and over again until we can't hardly move. Then I get paid and everyone goes home happy."

"Sounds pretty boring."

she snorted, "And what do _you_ do_, _Brooklyn?"

"Well, other than working the shop," Brooklyn's smile brightened, if it was possible, "I've been helping papa exercise his legs."

Rose leaned in, "Really? Has he started walking yet?"

"Well he took a few steps yesterday, but his knees hurt him really bad so he doesn't get very far."

"It's a start," Ash said, "who knows. Maybe in a few months, he'll be up on his feet. I remember when he used to walk...I think it nearly killed him when he broke his legs."

"Was he happy when he could walk?" Brooklyn asked, "I don't remember it."

"Yeah. He loved being able to walk on his own." Ash answered.

Rose smiled at them, then pointed towards some random ass tree that just happened to be standing in the field, "You see that tree?"

"Kinda hard not to, it's the only one there," Ash muttered. She snorted when Rose swatted at her.

"That's the tree mom buried Falak under. She had a little bulldozer brought in to dig the hole, and they buried her there." Rose smiled sadly, "momma still goes to see her sometimes. She'll just walk out here and sit in the shade. She said that's where they used to walk when Falak was a filly. She'd read while Falak grazed."

"Yeah, I remember when they had her buried," Ash said, "it was pretty big. Dad drove out to help put her in the ground." Her eyes focused on the tree, and saddened, "I used to climb that tree."

Rose blinked, "Really?"

"Yeah, before you were born. I'd climb up in it and sneak attack mom and dad when they came out to look for me. Sometimes, when..." Ash stopped, unable to finish. She dropped her eyes, then forced out, "when my best friend came with me, we'd climb up as high as possible and just sit there and talk for hours."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. One of the colts tossed his head. It was Brooklyn who asked, "What was she like?"

"Oh God," Ash laughed, "she was _awesome._ We used to do everything together. She would dance with me when I was little, and she'd come over to spend the night like every weekend. When she got bigger than me, she'd carry me on her back, and it was the best feeling in the world. Nothing could touch me when I was on her shoulders. She was always there for me, no matter what happened."

"I miss her," Rose said quietly, "I barely remember them, but I miss them all."

"You can thank the douche bags running the government for that," Ash said tonelessly, "I swear if I ever meet one of them, I'm going to punch them in the throat. Cowards."

"Do you think she'll ever come back?"

"Honestly? I don't know." Ash straightened, shifting her weight in the saddle. The bay tensed a little but kept walking. "She promised she would, but I don't even know if she's still alive."

Another stretch of quiet spread between them, lingering until all three horse froze up, standing still with every hoof on the ground and legs strained. Their heads were high, ears raised. Brooklyn quickly tightened her hold on the reins. Rose started to turn her gray around in circles, though it didn't do much to calm him down.

Ash blinked, staring down at the horse. He started to kick his feet, and she hissed, "Oh no, don't you dare! I will turn you into _glue_, you big ass-" The bay bucked, jumping into the air and thrashing wildly. Ash scrambled for a hold but tumbled right off. The wind was knocked out of her the second she hit the ground.

"Ash!" Rose called. The bay ran forward, charging with his head high and eyes rolling. Brooklyn's dapple danced to the left then took off after him. The girl managed to stay in the saddle though, centering herself and huddling down as he raced through the grass.

Ash quickly rolled to her feet to avoid being stepped on. Rose glanced down at her quickly, "Are you hurt?"

"No, go get Brooklyn!" Ash ordered, waving her off with one hand and using the other to rub at her now throbbing ass. Rose didn't waste another moment, urging her horse into a full blown gallop that carried them across the field.

Ash groaned noisily, "That's the _last_ fucking time I ride a horse."

She started to limp back towards the barn, cursing vividly when she realized just how far they'd gotten into the pasture. She'd be hiking through thigh-high grass and weeds for twenty minutes before she made it back. She didn't stop her grumbling until a shadow passed over her. Ash froze on the spot, eyes widening when she felt it. Her head snapped up and she searched the blue skies. Her heart pounded, half afraid that it was a decepticon.

But Ash couldn't see anything other than clouds. She held her breath for a moment, dropping her sights to the distant horizon. She turned slowly, scanning everything in sight. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. She almost gave up and started to walk again when something swooped down noiselessly, sending a breeze across the earth that had the grass dancing.

Ash went rigid, listening to the familiar sounds of shifting gears and the unmistakable flap of feathered wings. She screwed her eyes shut and breathed slowly, hoping with every ounce of her being that she knew who had just dropped out of the sky. She didn't want to turn around, for fear that she would be wrong. But grass crushed softly beneath feet and joints hissed. Ash couldn't stop herself from looking, so she shifted and turned towards the tree.

She stood behind the tree, though she was easily taller than it at the shoulder. She was much longer than Ash remembered, finally filling out that huge suit of rose red armor. Her body was slung low, almost cautiously, and though she held her tail off the ground, the spaded tip vanished in the grass. Her head slowly lowered as she took another step, slipping beneath the full branches of the tree to gaze back at Ash with glowing red optics.

The breath in Ash's body left her in a rush. She could do nothing but stare as the massive dragon raised her wings slightly. The sunlight glinted off of her blade-like feathers sharply, nearly blinding Ash. But Ash didn't care. She worked her jaw, trying to speak though nothing came out. Her heart pounded against her ribs. Finally, she managed to whisper, "_Sundance_."

The femme didn't speak, simply staring back. Something screamed in Ash's head to move, to run towards her and throw her arms around her face. But all she could say was, "You've been watching me...haven't you?"

"I was never far away," The dragon finally said, her voice richer and older sounding, different than what Ash remembered.

Ash smiled, "God I missed you." She moved to step towards her, but the sound of hooves broke through the air. Ash moved on impulse, whirling to gaze at Rose who was returning with Brooklyn and the bay. The two teenagers were breathless, and they opened their mouths to shout a greeting at her.

Ash tensed when the air rushed around her and she suddenly felt heat at her back. The scent of smoke and fire filled her nose, and Sundance's shadow fell over her. Rose and Brooklyn's eyes widened, and their horses jumped back crazily. They got them under control though, forcing them to move back until they stopped freaking out so bad.

"I can't believe you're here," Ash said, returning to Sundance once she knew the girls would be safe, "why the hell didn't you..."

Her eyes met crimson optics, and she said nothing else. Sundance stared at her, carrying her head low so they were eye level. She was standing behind her, wings closed around her sides and legs bent to hold her body close to the ground. Now that she was up close, Ash could see that there was a thick layer of gray and white dust on Sundance's armor. _Moon dust._

Ash raised a hand and Sundance silently pushed her nose into it. They held the contact for a long moment before Sundance slid back a step then lunged forward in one smooth motion, rolling her shoulders down and opening her wings to shove off the earth. Ash watched as she ascended in complete silence, moving so fast her body was a red streak across the sky. And, in a matter of minutes, she was gone.

Ash stood in the open field, staring up. She clenched her jaws, willing the dragon to come back and stay. Rose and Brooklyn rushed their horses over, the former exclaiming, "Was-was that _Sundance_?"

"Yeah..." Ash said slowly, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. "...It was."

* * *

><p><strong>The first part, where they leave, feels way too rushed, but I sat down and tried to rewrite it and change it around a few times then finally gave up. Anyway, this is it! Last chapter. When I finish the first chapter of the sequel, I'll post a sneak peak on here. <strong>

**Yeah, Critter took 'custody' over Brooklyn, and now she calls him 'papa'. It's so weird writing the kids as adults...yikes. **

**Sundance kept her promise. :) I wonder if she took off to go see Grimlock next?**

**Anyway...much love to you all! Thanks for sticking with me through another ridiculously long story!  
>You guys are so awesome!<strong>

**Sundance, her friends, family, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.**


	79. SNEAK PEAK

** Really quick, I just wanted to say...I fucking love my reviewers. You guys are so infinitely badass, when I say that you encourage me to keep writing, I _mean _it. I love reading everything you leave for me, and I appreciate all the time you put into it. You guys are too awesome! **cries****

** Heres the sneak peak! Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

><p>Solaris cut him off, crouching among the debris to pick something out of the shattered limestone, "There's something here."<p>

"What'd you find?" Hotshot approached, standing behind him. He tensed slightly when Solaris lifted a splintered piece of thin armor, painted a venomous lime green.

Solaris tilted it, "What mech is painted this color?"

Warhammer scoffed, "What mech has such _thin _armor?"

"...I don't know," Hotshot answered slowly, "I haven't seen anyone that color before, not since the constructicons but I'm pretty sure Optimus offlined them after autobots started landing on earth. And you're right, that armor _is _thin, way too thin to protect anything."

Then, completely out of the blue, Solaris glanced up at him and said, "It's still warm."

Before Hotshot could register what he'd just said, his energon sensors pinged. Immediately, Hotshot raised an arm and managed to push both of the younglings behind him as he lifted his rifle from the holster and held it up. His attention snapped up on instinct, and he found himself staring into huge, round _green _optics.

A feminine voice hissed, making his energon run cold, "one, two, _I see you."_

* * *

><p><strong>First look into the sequel. :) I just finished writing the first chapter, and my God, people, it's <em>eight<em> pages long...longest 'first chapter' I've ever written, I think. But I'm **_**really**_** happy with it. **

** In the sequel, all the kids are grown up. So Solaris, Warhammer, Flashback, and Backlash will all be young adults. We're skipping around thirty-fifty years into the future. Hotshot gets to be one of the main characters in the first chapter because I was thinking yesterday about Armada and how much I miss the damn show. Anyone else develop their TF obsession on Armada? Because that and DBZ were the SHIT when I was a kid. Hotshot was always one of my favorites, along with Blur who may or may not be making an appearance in the story. So both of them are based on Armada, as well as Red Alert if we ever cross paths with him in the sequel. **

** The villain in this chapter makes me happy. I won't say much about her because I don't wanna start running my mouth and spoil everything. But she's ridiculous. And insane. Literally. **

** ANYWAY...tell me what you think! You wanna read the rest of it or not? :) **

** The sequel is called 'The Hidden'(And you guys had some badass title suggestions that I will be shamelessly using later), and it will be based around Sundance, her brothers, and their lives. **

** For my_ hopeless romantics_-the relationship between Grimlock and Sundance (One of my readers coined the name 'GrimDance') will continue to grow. So yes, Grimlock will be returning in the sequel and there will be a lot more cuddling, space-invading, and yelling at each other. Can't wait!**

** Much love to everyone! You're all awesome!**


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